The Harmsworth Universal Atlas 



Commercial Intercourse of Nations 



E:uropeaniyation of the World. — OilO of the most significant signs 



of the times is the spread of European influence over the habitable 

 globe. The nations of the world to-day, with but few exceptions, 

 are either under the sway of Euroj^can powers, or are governed by 

 the descendants of Europeans. Most of the regions still remaining 

 under nntive rulers, such as China, Persia and Morocco, owe their 

 independence more to the jealousies of the European powers than to 

 their ability to stand alone. Even in the case of Japan, her present 

 commanding position is due to her marvellous assimilation of western 

 ideas and inventions. Turkey, although classed as a European 

 power, suffers from an effete government, entirely Oriental in char- 

 acter, and exists as a nation onlyonthesufferance of the great powers. 

 State Organization. — The ideal form of government^ a Republic 

 where all men are equal and work for the common good, has never 

 yet been attained. Commercial ]jr(»sperity can only exist under a good 

 and strong government, giving security and permanence to industrial 

 enterprise, and fostering its development by the establishment of 

 departments and agencies to watch over commercial interests. The 

 more enlightened nations either elect their rulers by popular vote, as 

 in the centrahzed Republic of France or the Federal Republic of the 

 United States, or else possess an eflicient control over their liereditarj* 

 sovereigns, by Constitutions framed by the elected representatives of 



the people, as in the case of the United Ivingdom. On the map the 

 Russia Empire is shown still as a despotic monarchy, as the Duma, 

 or parliament recently granted to the people, is not likely for some 

 time to come to have the power of effectively reducing the present 

 absolute sway of the Tsar and tlic bureaucracy. 



Commercial Languages, — The variety of the languages in the 

 world has always been a great bar to the free intercourse of nations. 

 The map attempts to show the distribution of the chief commercial 

 languages, among which English easily holds the first place, and 

 seems designed to become the commercial language of the future. 

 For this position, the vast commercial activity of the Anglo-Saxon 

 race in every part of the world is responsible. 



Post and Cables. — Cheap postage, introduced in the last century, 

 gave a great impulse to commerce. The penny post in this country 

 dates from 1840, and it has been extended till, at the present time, a 

 letter can be sent to any part of the British Empire at this rate. 

 The Inland postage of different countries varies, but letters can be 

 sent from the United Kingdom to all foreign countries within the 

 Postal Union at a uniform rate of 2id. the half-ounce. The first 

 Atlantic cable was onl;^ laid in 1866, and now over 200,000 miles of 

 cable girdle the oceans; including an All-British Cable round the 

 world, independent of foreign control at anv point. 



THE NATIONAL DEBTS OF THE PRSNCIPAL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD, 



CANADA 



l^SDOOOOO BF^.SOUTHAFRrcA NETHERLANDS JAPAN 



i.75.000.000. £91^500,000. J£9&,400,00D SlOCOOOflOO. 



TURKEV CHINA BELGfUM 



Sil0,500.0O0. £110.600,000. £|Z4,700,000. 



GERMANY 

 ^IP'0,000,000 



PORTUGAL 

 £175.800,000. 



FRANCE 

 j£l, 2 18,400.000. 



UNITED KINGDOM 

 ^79/-, 000.000. 



RUSSIA 

 ^765,^00,000. 



iTALY 

 £498,200,000. 



UMTEO STATES 

 X473,90O,00O. 



SPAl N INDIA AUSTRIA-HUNGARY AUSTRALIA 



^3B2,OOO,O0O, i.229,000.000. SIeSS, 200,000. £214,500,000. 



-'.r''^ 



THE ANNUAL REVENUES OF THE PRINCIPAL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD. 



CHINA 

 £13,000,000 



PORTUGAL 

 ^13,700,000, 



WETHEfiLANDS 

 £l4,?00,000. 



£14,530,000. 



AUSTRtA-HUNGAfiY 

 £15.340.000, 



TURKEY 

 Jfl7,500,000 



BR.SOUTH AFRICA 

 £21,300,000. 



RUSSIA FRANCE UNITED KINGDOM GERMANY UNiTFn ^Tatf': rMm. — --^-^^ 



...O,3e,..0O. .US..03^_ £U3,400,C..: t..,.ojo0. '^Hl^Jl^.l' ,,'--,,, ^^--^^^^ ^^-A,^^^^_ 



AUSTRALIA 

 ^33,600,000. 



JAPAN 

 £25,700,000. 



BELGIUM 

 £25,300,000. 



I 



32 



