STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. A crown colony of Great Britain, comprising some of the British possessions on the Malay Peninsula and a few of the adjacent islands, viz. Singapore (q.v.), Ma lacca (q.v.), Dindings (q.v.), Penang (q.v.), or Prince of Wales Island, the Province of Welles ley, the Keeling Islands (q.v.), and Christ mas Island (q.v.). The total area, excluding Christmas Island and the Keeling group, is square miles. The colony has little natural wealth. It is important for its extensive transit trade, which passes almost entirely through Singapore and Penang. The total trade amount ed in 1901 to nearly $28S,000,000, of which the imports represented over $127,000,000. The trade of Singapore alone amounted to about $233,000,000. The principal imports are rice, cotton goods, and opium; the exports consist chiefly of tin (which is brought from the Feder ated Malay States), gums, and spices. All the ports are free. The total shipping during 1901 was 16,000,000 tons. The Governor is assisted by an executive council, and a legislative council composed of nine official and seven un official members, five of the latter being nomi nated by the Crown and two by the chambers of commerce at Singapore and Penang, and con firmed by the Crown. The Governor is also High
Commissioner for the Federated Malay States and Borneo. The population (exclusive of Christ mas Island and the Keeling group) was 512,342 in 1891, and 572,249 in 1901. In the latter year the population was composed of 281,933 Chinese, 215,058 Malays, and 505S Europeans and Ameri cans. There is an extensive immigration from China and India, chiefly coolies, the immi grants from the two countries in 1901 num bering 17S,778 and 25,357 respectively. The crown colony was organized April 1, 1867. The capital is Singapore.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Swettenhani, Malay Sketches Bibliography. Swettenhani, Malay Sketches (London, 1895) ; id., The Real Malay (ib., 1S99); Rathbone, Camping and Tramping in Malaya (ib., 1S9S) ; Belfield, Handbook of the Federated Malay Statcs (ib., 1902) ; Skeat, Tribes of the Malay Archipelago (ib., 1902).