TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION. Almost the entire foreign trade of Egypt passes through Alexandria. the annual shipping of that port amounting to about 2,500.000 tons. about 50 per cent, of which is carried in British bottoms. The railway lines of Egypt, with the exception of eight agricultural roads built for service on farms, are owned by the Government. At the close of 1901 there were 1393 miles of railway owned and operated by the State, and 7S0 miles of agricultural roads in private hands. Traffic on the State lines show4 a decided increase. In 1895 the number of passengers hauled was 9.515,000: the tons of freight were the net receipts were 1994.000 (Egyptian). In 1599 the respective figures were 11.284.2S'4. 3.055.S97 tons, and El .161 .636 ( Egyptian.) (An Egyptian pound equals i44.943.) The agricultural reads have increased rapidly in number during recent years, with great benefit to agricultural communit Commracn.. The economie development of Egypt, under the British rule, brought about by the improvement in transportation and irriga tion facilities and the readjustment of the finances, is probably hest shown by the increase in its foreign commerce.. During the period 1596. 1900 th. exports of merchandise increased from £13,232.104 (in each case Egyptian) to 116,766, 610. while the imports increased during the same period from £9,828,604 to 114,112.369. Natural ly. Great. Britain occupies the foremost position among countries trading with Egypt. The im ports from Great Britain rose front £3,056,000 in I896 to 15,300,000 in 1900, or from 31 to over 37 per cent. of the total. In the exports Great Britain's share is even larger, the exports to Great Britain haring increased during 1596 1900 front 16,973300, or over 51 per tent., to 19.141,930. or nearly 56 per cent. The chief exports are cotton. 113.039.025 in 1900, cotton seed. £1.960,499. and sugar. 1575.509. The mag nitude of the cut ton export,: usually the so-called balance of trade in favor of Egypt. The cotton goes mostly to Great Britain, front which are imported chiefh cotton goods, wood and coal, and metal Marseille, buys most of the cottonseed. The commercial rela tions of Egypt are important also with Turkey, France, Algeria. and As the industrial development is small. the imports of textiles (over one-fourth of all foreign pur chases) and other manufactures are very large. As Egypt ha, no forests. timber and lumber from northern Europe and Austria-Hungary are important. The United buy, Egyptian cot ton to the value of two to three times that of the goods it sells to Egypt. The foreign commerce is principally in the hands of Europeans, the natives confining themselves to the internal t rade.
GovEnxmENT. Egypt is a tributary State of Turkey, but the office of Governor-General or Khedive is vested permanently in the descend ants of _Mehemet Ali. who was appointed Gov ernor of Egypt in 1S05. and succeeded in making himself independent ruler of the country. in consideration of an annual tributt of /750.000
Turkish (a Turkish pound is $4.40). the Khe dive enjoys absolute rule in Egypt in spite of the presence in his council of a High Com missioner from Constantinople. Absolute legis lative and administrative power is vested in the Khedive and a council of six native ministers under his control. The ministers preside over the departments of the Interior, Finance. Justice. Public Works and Instruction, War and Marine, and Foreign Affairs. The most important offices in the ministerial departments, and especially in the departments of Public Works and Finance, are filled by Europeans. Between 1S79 and 1883 England and France jointly exercised a guiding influence on the administration of the country through their controllers-general. the two nations having intervened in Egyptian affairs for the protection of their respective bondholders, whose interests were threatened by the state of disorder prevalent in Egypt. The rebellion of Arabi Pasha was followed by the abolition of the joint con trol of the two nations. and by the appointment of an English financial adviser, whose eonsent was neeess•ry to all fiscal action. Since that time the tinaneial adviser has steadily increased his powers. until now, through the importanee of his office, he is practically the ruler of the count 1y.
The influence of England is also made pre dominant by the control of the publie defenses. The Egyptian Army has been drilled by English officers and is in a great Cola inanded by them, the head of the national forces being an English general bearing the title of Sirdar. Besides the regular Egyptian Army there has been in the country binee 1882 a British army of occupation. toward the support of which the Government of the Khedive contributes in part. The legislative power is exercised by the Khedive and his ministers. aided by the advice of a Legis lative Council and a General Assembly. The Leg islative Council is composed of 30 members. of Whom 14 are appointed by the Government and the rest elected from the province: and provincial towns. The General Assembly is composed of the Legislative Council. the Cabinet. and 46 members elected by popular vote. Neither of these bodies exercises absolute legislative power, since the Legislative Council cannot initiate any legislation, anil the General Assembly is merely a consultative body, whose advice the Government is not bound to follow except in the imposition of personal or land taxes. Egypt proper is divided into 6 gov ernorships and 14 mudiriehs or provinces, which in turn, are subdivided into districts and com munes. At the head of the province is the mudir, who is assisted in the performance of his various functions by a sanitary board. a police bureau, and a chief engineer. He also exercises authority over the heads of districts and com munities, which in turn exerei-e control over the representatives of the villages and municipal wards. The collection of taxes is carried on through the mudir.