334 



The National Geographic Magazine 



China 1,544 



Japan 13,835 



India 216 



Turkey in Asia 6,354 



Other Asia 351 



Total Asia 22,300 



Africa 712 



AnstraHa, Tasmania, and New Zea- 

 land 1,682 



Pacific Islands, not specified 51 



British North America 5,063 



British Honduras 80 



Other Central America 1,060 



Mexico 1,997 



South America 2,757 



West Indies 13,656 



United States 32,897 



All other countries 115 



Grand total 1,100,735 



The new immigrant law, which goes 

 into effect July i, contains important 

 restrictions which will enable the immi- 

 grant officials to debar imbeciles, weak- 

 minded and other undesirable classes 

 with greater effectiveness than in the 

 past. It also contains a provision pre- 

 venting the entrance of children under 

 14 years of age unless accompanied by, or 

 plainly intended for, the parent or 

 guardian. The law also increases the 

 head or entrance tax on each immigrant 

 from $2 to $4. 



While the law defines more sharply the 

 undesirable classes, it is doubtful if it 

 will reduce the number of immigrants 

 now seeking our land. 



THE BLACK REPUBLIC-LIBERIA* 



By Sir Harry Johnston and U. S. Minister Lyon of Monrovia 



IT will be seen on the map that Li- 

 beria occupies a most important 

 strategic position on the west coast 

 of Africa between 5° and 8° north lati- 

 tude. The general trend of the coast, 

 which is about 400 miles long, is from 

 northwest to southeast, parallel to the 

 course taken by steamers plying across 

 the Atlantic between Europe and South 

 Africa. It might, in fact, in the hands 

 of a strong naval power, exercise a very 

 dominating influence over the eastern 

 Atlantic, which is one reason, among 

 many others, why Great Britain desires 

 to see the independence of the Liberian 

 Republic preserved and maintained. 



The country of Liberia as a whole is 

 one dense forest. It is practically the 

 culmination of the West African forest, 

 the regions to the north, east, and west 

 having been more extensivelv cleared 



by man in past times, or partaking more 

 of the park-land, grass-grown character, 

 owing to their less copious rainfall. Now 

 that two English companies, in conjunc- 

 tion with the government of Liberia, are 

 endeavoring to develop the resources of 

 the interior and to accumulate knowledge 

 regarding the climate and products, at- 

 tempts are being made to record the rain- 

 fall, as to the extent of which at present 

 only a guess can be made. It is probable 

 that south of latitude 8° 30' the average 

 annual rainfall of Liberia is not less than 

 100 inches. Adjoining regions in Sierra 

 Leone have a recorded rainfall of some- 

 thing like 130 inches, so that this is 

 probably an under rather than over esti- 

 mate. North of latitude 8° 30' the rain- 

 fall diminishes to probably 60 to 80 

 inches per anniun, and in consequence the 

 dense forests give way to a pastural coun- 



'' This article is abstracted from several interesting reports recently made by Sir Harry 

 Johnston and Minister Lyon on this negro republic, which was founded by some philanthropic 

 Americans 90 years ago. For further information the reader is referred to the Consular 

 Reports of the Department of Commerce and Labor and to two magnificent volumes, 

 "Liberia," by Sir Harry Johnston, published by Dodd, Mead & Co. This work is very hand- 

 somely illustrated. 



