The British Empire

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XII. THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

The Censuses of the British Colonies, Protectorates, and Dependencies form a collection containing much statistical information of a valuable and interesting character. It may be stated that remarkable success was obtained in the enumeration of the people by the able Administrators throughout the Empire, especially in India, Australia, and Canada. It is to be regretted that the financial position of some of our West Indian Colonies precluded them from incurring the cost of a complete Census; in these and a few other cases only estimates of population are available; while, in relatively unorganised territories, such as the inland parts of the West African Colonies, nothing but a rough guess as to the population can be made. Owing to the disturbed state of South Africa, caused by the war, the enumeration of the people in that part of the Empire was postponed until 1904. The preliminary results of the enumeration relating to British South Africa have now been published, and the full Census Returns will no doubt be issued in due course.

In accordance with a desire expressed by Mr. Chamberlain, the late Colonial Secretary, the statistics contained in the above Censuses are being collated and analysed, and a Summary of the results, along with an Explanatory Report thereon, is in the course of preparation. Pending the issue of that publication, the area and population of the several British Possessions are given in Tables numbered 61 and 62 in Appendix A. to this Report.

Area

The area of the British Empire, as constituted in 1901, amounted approximately to twelve millions of square miles, equal to more than one-fifth of the land surface of the globe. In 1861, the Empire comprised, in round figures, nearly eight millions of square miles, so that, in the short space of 40 years, the aggregate area of our Colonies, Dependencies, and Protectorates has increased by about 50 per cent.

Of these twelve millions of Square miles somewhat more than four millions are contributed by North, Central, and South America, three millions more are in Australasia, about three millions are in Africa, and over one-and-three-quarter millions are in Asia, while the portion that lies in Europe constitutes a very inconsiderable fraction of the whole, amounting to only 125,095 square miles, of which 121,089 form the United Kingdom.

Population

Roughly estimated, the population of the British Empire in 1861 was 175 millions; in 1871 it had risen to 235 millions; in 1881 to over 254 millions; in 1891 to nearly 372 millions, and, so far as can be ascertained, it reached, at or about the time of the last Census, a total of over 400 millions.

Of this number, more than 300 millions were enumerated in Asia, about 45 millions were estimated to be in Africa, about 7½ millions were enumerated in America, over 5 millions in Australasia, nearly half-a-million in our Mediterranean Possessions, over 150,000 in the Islands in the British Seas, the remaining 41½ millions being the population of the United Kingdom.

Asia

Of the 300,604,864 inhabitants of our Colonies, Dependencies, and Protectorates in Asia, 231,899,507 were enumerated in the British Provinces of India, making with 62,461,549 inhabitants of the Native States and Agencies a total population of 294,361,056 in the Indian Empire; Ceylon contributed 3,573,419 persons, and our other Asian Possessions a further 2,670,389 persons.

Africa

The inhabitants of our possessions in Africa numbered approximately 45 millions; of these it is estimated that about 29 millions were living in our Colonies and Protectorates on the West Coast, more than six millions were in our South African Colonies, while the remaining 10 millions were estimated to be living in British East Africa, Uganda, and our remaining Possessions in Africa.

America

The population of those parts of the Empire that are in America was 7,525,815. Of these 5,613,260 were in North America, namely:— 5,371,315 in the Dominion of Canada, and the remaining 241,945 in Newfoundland, Labrador, and the Bermudas. The West Indies contributed 1,576,927 to the population of the Empire, and British Honduras 37,479, these several figures, with 295,896 in British Guiana and 2,253 in the Falkland Islands making up the aggregate inhabitants of our American Colonies and Dependencies.

Australasia

The inhabitants of our possessions in Australasia numbered 5,184,469, of whom 3,836,154 were enumerated within the Commonwealth of Australia, and 828,506 in New Zealand and its Dependencies, while 519,809 were estimated to be living in British New Guinea and our Possessions in Polynesia.

Europe

Excluding the inhabitants of the United Kingdom, the population of those parts of the Empire that are in Europe was 622,872. Of these, 150,370 were enumerated in the Islands in the British Seas, namely:—95,618 in the Channel Islands, and 54,752 in the Isle of Man, and the remaining 472,502 were enumerated in our Mediterranean Dependencies, namely:—27,460 in Gibraltar, 207,890 in Malta and Gozo, and 237,152 in Cyprus.

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