472 



SOUTH AMEEICA— THE ANDES EEGIONS. 



Fig. 181. — COMMTTNICATIOXS 



op Chili. 

 Scale 1 : 37,500,000. 



cultural produce, and even in a slight degree by manufactured wares, enables Chili 

 to take a relatively high place amongst the trading nations of the world. Even 

 in 1890, a year of political strife, the exchanges amounted to nearly £40,000,000. 

 By far the largest share in this trade is taken by Great Britain, which in the 



year 1880 took nearly 45 per cent, of the whole of 

 the imports, Germany and France being respec- 

 tively represented by 23 and 12 per cent. In 

 the export trade the three countries follow in the 

 same order, except that the share of England is 

 even still larger, no less than 68 per cent, in the 

 same year 1880. 



The exports are mainly mining and agricul- 

 tural produce, the former representing in 1888 as 

 much as six-sevenths of the total, and the nitrates 

 more than half of the mining products. In the 

 import trade the chief items are such manufac- 

 tured wares as textiles, machinery, implements 

 and utensils of all kinds, jewellery and arms, and 

 provisions, such as wines, spirits and tobacco. 



Punta Arenas is now a free port open to all 

 nations. Fifteen other " habilitated " ports, that 

 is, open to foreign trade, follow from north to 

 south, the long list beginning with Arica, Pisagua, 

 Iquique, Tocopilla, Antofagasta, Taltal, Caldera, 

 Carrizal Bajo, Coquimbo and Valparaiso, and 

 closing with Talcahuano, Coronel, Corral, Puerto 

 Montt and Ancud. The passes across the Andes, 

 where trade is carried on between Chili, Argen- 

 tina and Bolivia, are also called " ports," as in 

 the French Pyrenees. During the Spanish rule 

 only one of these piiertos secos (" dry ports ") was 

 frequented, that of Cumbre, between Santa Rosa 

 and Uspallata ; at present at least fifteen are 

 utilised, and the number is yearly increasing. 



Including vessels entering and clearing, the 

 shipping averages about 20,000,000 tons a year, 

 two-fifths flying the national, most of the rest 

 the British flag. In 1886 the mercantile navy 

 comprised nearly 200 vessels of all sizes, with a 

 collective burden of over 86,000 tons. One-fifth 

 of these are steamers plying along the Pacific seaboard between Panama in the 

 north and Puerto Montt in the south. Various European companies also share in 

 this trafiic, by far the largest being the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, flying 

 the British flag and owning a fleet with a total capacity of over 100,000 tons. 



79° WestoFG 



Railways. 



Riilways 

 in progress. 



Regular marine service. 



. 500 Miles. 



