FIUME, A royal free town and the seaport of Hungary, forming, together with its adjoining territory, since 1870, a political divi sion of the kingdom (Map: Hungary, D 4). It is picturesquely situated at the head of the Bay of Quarnero, an inlet of the Adriatic, and is about 40 miles southeast of Triest. The views of the bay and town are beautiful, and the' environs are attractive. Fiume consists of the old town built on a hill, with crooked narrow streets, and the new town stretching along the shore, with fine broad streets, handsome squares, and numerous elegant public buildings. The public garden is particularly worthy of mention. Among the edi fices the most interesting are the ancient cathe dral, with a facade in the style of the Pantheon at Rome; the Church of Saint Vitus, a copy of Santa Maria della Salute at Venice; the town hall, the Government buildings, the Naval Acad emy, and the municipal theatre. There is a Roman triumphal arch, supposed to have been erected to Emperor Claudius II. Gothicus. Fiume has three harbors, the largest, begun in 1872, being capable of accommodating 150 large vessels. It is protected by a breakwater 3250 feet in length, and flanked by a quay nearly two miles long. The entire port is lighted by electricity.
The city, owing to the active interest shown by Hungary in this its only seaport, has an exten sive and steadily increasing commerce. in 1900, 21,471 ships entered and cleared the port with a tonnage of 3,365,480 tons. In 1898 Fiume's com mercial fleet comprised 189 vessels. The chief
articles of import are wine, rice, tobacco, and raw jute; of export, flour, sugar, and lumber. The total value of the commerce for 1899 amounted to $43,000,000, as against less than $6,000,000 in 1871. The manufactures of Fiume are likewise flourishing. The chief industrial establishments are the Government tobacco fac• tort' employing over 2000 persons, the large Whitehead torpedo-•orks, an enormous petroleum refinery. a rice-shelling factory, an extensive paper-mill, and a number of sawmills. The fisher ies are important, those of tunny being especially rich. Phone is fully equipped with banks, com mercial unions, and industrial associations. It is administered by a separate Governor, who is a member of the Upper House of the Hungarian Parliament. The town sends four representatives to the Lower Ilouse of the Kingdom, and is en titled to two representatives in the Diet of Croatia and Slavonia. The chief educational institutions are the Naval Academy, a royal gyninasimn, and two high schools. There is a United States eon sul. Population, in 1890, 29,494; in 19110, 3s, 139, for the most part Roman Catholics. The inhabitants are chiefly Italians and Fiume was a town of the Byzantine Empire. in the ninth century it was ruled by its own dukes. In 1471 it came into the possession of Austria, and in 1779 was attached to the Crown of Hun gary.