Area and Population.-The frontiers of Albania, which were provisional, were shown in the map of the Balkan Peninsula which accompanied THE STATESMAN'S YEAR BOOK for 1914. An International Commission is engaged (March, 1922) in determining the boundaries of Albania. The estimated probable area of the country is between 10,500 and 11,500 square miles, and the population about 1,400,000 souls. The principal towns, with estimated population, are as follows:-Durazzo, the provisional capital, 5,000; Scutari, 32,000; Elbasan, 13,000; Tirana, 12,000; Argyrocastro, 12,000; Berat, 8,500; Korytza, 8,000; Valona, 6,500.

Religion and Instruction.-About two-thirds of the Albanians are Moslems. Of the remaining one-third the Christians in the north are for the most part Roman Catholics, and the Christians in the south are members of the Orthodox (Greek) Church. Whilst large numbers of the Mohammedans belong to the Bektashi sect, in many districts both Christian and Moslem worship may be found.

There are a few schools in the country, for the most part carried on by Jesuits. During 1921 a normal school was opened at Elbasan, and a boys' high school at Scutari.

Justice.-The Albanians have a strict code of honour, but in the past no universal system of Justice has been in force. Whilst the South has been more or less ruled by the Ottoman code of law, the districts of the North have practically managed their own affairs according to their own ideas.

Production and Industry.- Great tracts of the country remain uncultivated, and the areas at present under cultivation are dealt with in a primitive way. The country for the greater part is rugged, wild, and mountainous, the exceptions being along the Adriatic littoral and the Korytza Basin, these two sections being particularly fertile and capable of great agricultural development. Tobacco, wool, and olive oil are the principal products of the country. The wool is made up into coarse and heavy native cloth. Forests are scarce; and as for minerals, Albania is said to possess copper, coal, silver, gold and lead.

Central Albania has no roads, but in the South the Italian administration has constructed military roads extending South via Tepeleni and Argyrocastro, and the North and East via Liascoviki and Erzek to Korytza. Northern Albania has one road, connecting Durazzo and Tirana with Alessio and Scutari. As yet there are no railways in the country. The ports are five in number, viz. San Giovanni di Medua, Durazzo, Valona, Porto Palermo, and Santi Quaranta. Valona is intended to be the head of the Trans-Balkan Railway, which will connect Italy with Constantinople. The country has no banks and no currency.

Diplomatic Representatives.

1. OF ALBANIA IN GREAT BRITAIN.

None.

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN ALBANIA.

Minister and Envoy.-H. C. A. Eyres (appointed January 13, 1922.

Acta et Diplomata Res Albaniae Mediae Aetatis illustrantia (by Dr. L. de Thalloczy, C. Jirecek, and E. de Sufflay). Vol. I. Vienna, 1913.

Baldacci (A.), Itinerari Albanesi. Rome, 1917.

Barnes (J.), The future of the Albanian State, in Geographical Journal for July, 1918. Boppe (A.), L'Albanie et Napoléon (1797-1814). Paris, 1913.

Bourcart (J.), L'Albanie et les Albanais. Paris, 1921.

Brailsford (H. N.), Macedonia, its Races and their Future. London, 1906.

Ceretti (G. D.), L'Albania in grigio verde. Florence, 1920.

Chekrezi (Constantine), Albania Past and Present. London, 1919.

Durham (Edith), The Struggle for Scutari. London, 1914.-High Albania. London,

1909.

Georgevitch (Dr. Vladan), Les Albanais et les Grandes Puissances. Paris, 1913. Gopcevic (Spiridon), Das Fürstentum Albanien, seine Vergangenheit, ethnographischen Verhältnisse, politische Lage und Aussichten für die Zukunft. Berlin, 1914.

Louis-Jaray (G.), L'Albanie inconnue. Paris, 1913.

Manek (F.), Pekmesi (G ), and Stotz (A), Albanesische Bibliographie. Vienna, 1909.
Peacock (W.), Albania, the foundling State of Europe. London, 1914.
Puaux (René), La malheureuse Épire. Paris, 1914.

Siebertz (P), Albanien und die Albanesen.

Vienna 1910.

Thalloczy (L.), Illyrisch-Albanische Forschungen. Leipzig, 1916.

Wace (A. J. B.), and Thompson (M S.), The Nomads of the Balkans. London, 1914. Woods (H. Charles), The Danger Zone of Europe. London, 1911.

ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.

(REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA.)

Constitution and Government.

ARGENTINA was discovered in 1508 by Juan Diaz de Solis and Vicente Yánez Pinzón. In 1535 Don Pedro de Mendoza was sent out by the King of Spain, and in that same year founded the town of Buenos Aires. On May 25, 1810, the population rose against the Spanish rule, and on July 9, 1816, Argentine independence was proclaimed. Between 1816 and 1852 was a period of anarchy, and in 1853 stable government was once more established.

The Constitution of the Argentine Republic bears date May 15, 1853, with modifications in 1860, 1866 and 1898. The executive power is left to a President, elected for six years by electors appointed by the fourteen provinces, equal to double the number of senators and deputies combined; while the legislative authority is vested in a National Congress, consisting of a Senate and a House of Deputies, the former numbering 30, two from the capital and from each province, elected for nine years by a special body of electors in the capital, and by the legislatures in the provinces; and the latter 158 members elected by the people. By the Constitution there should be one deputy for every 33,000 inhabitants. According to the census of 1914 the rate is one deputy for every 49,000 inhabitants. A deputy must be 25 years of age, and have been a citizen for four years. The deputies are elected for four years, but one-half of the House must retire every two years. Senators must be 30 years of age, have been citizens for six years. One-third of the Senate is renewed every three years. The two chambers meet annually from May 1 to September 30. The members of both the Senate and the House of Deputies each receive 18,000 pesos per annum. A Vice-President, elected in the same manner and at the same time as the President, fills the office of Chairman of the Senate, but has otherwise no political power. The President is commander-in-chief of the army and navy, and appoints to all civil, military, naval, and judicial

offices, and has the right of presentation to bishoprics; he is responsible with the Ministry for the acts of the executive; both President and VicePresident must be Roman Catholics, Argentine by birth, and cannot be re-elected, unless a period of six years intervenes.

President of the Republic.-Señor Hipólito Irigoyen. October 12, 1916.

Vice-President.-Señor Dr. Benito Villanueva.

Assumed office,

The Ministry, appointed by and acting under the orders of the President, consists of eight Secretaries of State-namely, of the Interior, Foreign Affairs, Finance, War, Justice and Public Instruction, Agriculture, Marine, and Public Works.

The President has a salary of 96,000 dollars paper, and 28,800 dollars paper for official expenses; the Vice-President 36,000 dollars paper as his salary, and 24,000 dollars for official expenses, and each of the eight ministers 39,600 dollars per annum.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

The Constitution, with certain small exceptions, is identical with that of the United States. Such matters as affect the Republic as a whole are under the superintendence of the Central Government. The Republic is divided into 14 provinces, 10 territories and 1 federal district (Buenos Aires). The governors of the various provinces are invested with very extensive powers, and in their constitutional functions are independent of the central executive. They are elected by the people of each province for a term varying between three and four years. The provinces elect their own legislatures, and have complete control over their own affairs. The territories are under the supervision of governors appointed by the President. Buenos Aires municipal government is exercised by a Mayor appointed by the President with the approval of the Senate. He is assisted by a deliberative council elected by tax-paying inhabitants. The deliberative ⚫ council votes on measures relating to city finance, works, and general administration, and its decisions are carried out by the Mayor. Other municipalities have constitutions of a similar character.

Area and Population.

In

The Argentine Republic consists of fourteen provinces, ten territories and one federal district, containing the land area and population shown below:

:

Of the total in 1914, 4,227,023 were males and 3,658,214 females. Of the population on January 1, 1918, 4,440,367 were males and 3,838,792 females.

The movement of population for four years is given as follows:

In the years 1857-1920 the number of immigrants by sea was 5,121,958. By the Constitution of the Republic, all children of foreigners born in the country are Argentine.

Population of the capital, Buenos Aires, on June 1, 1914 (census), was 1,575,814 (on December 31, 1920, it was estimated at 1,674,000); Rosario (Santa Fe), 222,592; Córdoba, 104,894 (on November 30, 1918, 156,000); La Plata, 90, 436; Avellaneda, 46, 277; Tucumán, 91, 216; Bahía Blanca, 44, 143; Santa Fé, 59,574; Mendoza, 58,790 ; Paraná, 36,089; Salta, 28,436;

Lomas de Zamora, 22,231; Río Cuarto, 18,421; Corrientes, 28, 681; Quilmes, 19,311; Concordia, 20, 107; Mar del Plata, 27,611; Santiago del Estero, 23,479; Chivilcoy, 23,241; Resistencia, 8,387; Mercedes (San Luis), 18,256; Tandil, 15,784; Junín, 21,172; Bell-Ville, 8,732; Gualeguaychú, 17,880; Pergamino, 20,549; San Juan, 16,631; Catamarca, 13,262; Posadas, 10,128; La Rioja, 8,245; Jujuy, 7,622.

Religion and Instruction.

There is no State religion, though the Roman Catholic religion is sup. ported by the State; all other creeds are tolerated and freedom of conscience prevails. There are 1 archbishop (Buenos Aires) and 10 suffragan bishops. For the clergy there are 8 seminaries. In 1888 civil marriage was established in the Republic.

Primary education is free (subsidised by the General and Provincial Governments), secular and compulsory for children from 6 to 14 years of age. Population of school age (1920), 1,756,053, of whom 1,076,045 attended school. Of the total population over 7 years of age, 35.1 per cent. were illiterate. There were (1919) 9,268 primary public schools, 7,801 being public and 1,285 private, with 1,190,231 pupils and 36,615 teachers. The secondary or preparatory education is controlled by the general Government, which maintains 42 national colleges with 11,022 pupils and 1,244 teachers. Side by side with the Government colleges there are also 33 private institutions of the same grade, with 2,959 pupils and 398 teachers. There are 82 normal schools with 14,202 pupils and 1,843 teachers; 37 for special instruction (commercial, industrial, artistic, also for the blind, &c.) with 11,081 pupils and 1,034 teachers. There are national universities at Córdoba (founded 1613), with 1,603 students in 1920; Buenos Aires (founded 1821), with 10,404 students; La Plata (founded 1905), with 2,979 students; and the National University of the Litoral, in Rosario (founded in 1920); and provincial universities at Santa Fé and Tucumán (founded 1912), and the university of Cuyo (founded in 1921) for the provinces of Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis. There is a well-equipped national observatory at Córdoba, and another at La Plata, museums at Buenos Aires and La Plata, and a national meteorological bureau at Buenos Aires.

For 1920 the Government budgeted for education : 38,798,656 paper dollars on primary education; 8,274,720 dollars on secondary; 5,381,424 dollars on technical and commercial education; 10,931,864 dollars on normal schools, and 7,464,158 dollars on university education; miscellaneous, 1,034,512 paper dollars; total, 71,885,335 dollars.

In Argentina there are 520 newspapers published, 493 in Spanish, 4 in Italian, 5 in German, 5 in English, and others in Scandinavian, French, Basque, Russian,

Justice.

The

Justice is administered by Federal and by Provincial Courts. former deal only with cases of a national character, or in which different provinces or inhabitants of different provinces are parties. The Federal Courts are the Supreme Courts, with 5 judges at Buenos Aires; 5 Appeal Courts, one with 5 judges at Buenos Aires, and with 3 each at La Plata, Paraná, Córdoba, and Rosario (Santa Fe), and courts of first instance in each of the provinces and territories. Each province has its own judicial system, with a Supreme Court (generally so-called) and several minor courts. Trial by jury is established by the Constitution for criminal cases, but never practised.