GUIANA, BRITISH

the sole british possession on the continent of south america, has an area of 89,480 sq. miles. the population of the colony at the end of 1924 was 301,204. sugar maintains its position as the principal export from british guiana; of the area under cultivation 57,000 ac. are reaped. the value of the sugar exported in 1924, with its by- products—rum, molasses, molascuit—was approximately {2,- 000,000. between rors and 1924 machinery to the value of £1,500,000 sterling was imported for the equipment and improve- ment of the sugar factories. exports of rice in 1924 were valued at £65,120, an increase on the exports for 1923, which were valued at £57,018. the production of diamonds has increased since 1913; in 1923 214,385 carats were exported, valued at £1,032,585. the output of gold has decreased; in 1924 the exports were valued at £19,600, as against 63,803 ounces exported in tor4 and valued at £232,085. the value of bauxite exported in 1924 was £176,200, and in the same year balata valued at £164,400 was exported. the chief imports are foodstuffs, manu- factured textiles and machinery. under the british preferential tariff imports from the united kingdom, canada and other 297 british possessions have increased, while imports from the united states have decreased. the forest area of 78,000 ac. contains many valuable woods— greenheart, which is produced only in british guiana, and mora, both of which are suitable for shipbuilding and are resistent to marine borers, purpleheart and crabwood. 168,454 cu. ft. of timber, valued at £26,006, were exported in 1924. difficulty of access has limited the exploitation of the mineral and timber wealth of the colony to the northern half. the development of the forest lands is being actively pursued by the newly-created forestry department, which began its work of locating fresh sources of supply of commercial timbers in nov. 1925. british guiana participated in the british empire exhibition in london 1924-5, and a resident trade commissioner has been appointed in london. biscrocrapuy.—li. b. harrison and f. a. stockdale, rubber and balata in british guiana (1911); a. leechman, the british guiana hfandbook (1913); board of trade, colonial import duties, cd. 7641 (1914); statistical abstract for the several self-governing british dominions 1899-1913, cd. 7786 (1915). see also annual reports and blue books.