Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 04.djvu/456

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GREECE 392 GBEECE tegic boundary. Negotiations were finally concluded on Sept. 18, when a treaty was submitted to Turkey and Greece. The principal terms of this treaty were that Greece should pay Turkey about $15,000,000; permit a strategic recon- struction of the Thessalian frontier in Turkey's favor ; and accept international control in financial matters. This treaty was signed at Constantinople, Dec. 4, 1897. GREECE, a kingdom of southeastern Europe; bounded by Albania, Jugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, the Black, ^gean, Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas; cap- ital, Athens, with a population of about 300,000 (including Piraeus). Greece gained greatly in territorial area as a result of the redistribution of territory at the Peace Conference in Paris. In addition to the acquisition of Thrace and numei'ous islands in the ^gean Sea, Greece also assumed the administration of the Smyrna district of Asia Minor, with a proviso that a plebiscite be held at the end of five years to determine whether or not it shall remain perma- nently in Greek hands. The acquisition of new territories obtained as a result of the war with Turkey, from October 17, 1912, to May 30, 1913, and with Bul- garia, from June 30 to August 10, 1913, gave the country a total area of 41,933 square miles. There were added as a result of the World War, Bulgarian or western Thrace, Macedonia, and the ^gean Islands, with the exception of Imbros, Tenedos and Caste '^orizzo, which according to the terms of the Peace Treaty are to be returned to Turkey. The population of the added territory is about 2,000,000 and of the old territory about 2,700,000; population of the king- dom about 4,821,300. Topography. — Greece forms the S. ex- tremity of the Balkan peninsula and numerous outlying islands. The coast line is very extensive, being formed by numerous gulfs and bays, of which the Corinthian and Saronic gulfs nearly meet at the Isthmus of Corinth, separ- ating northern Greece from Morea. The surface is very mountainous. In the N. are the Cambunian Mountains, with Mount Olympus (9,754 feet) at the E. extremity, A range called Mount Pin- dus runs N. and S. parallel to both coasts, with many smaller ranges branching off in all directions. The riv- ers are small, and as a rule mere moun- tain torrents, none of them being nav- igable. Production and lnd%istry. — Greece is mainly an agricultural country, al- though only about one-fifth of the total area is suitable for cultivation. The de«  forestation of the country has gone on steadily for years, and this has greatly decreased the area that could profitably be devoted to agriculture. The land is to a large extent in the hands of peasant proprietors, and metayer farmers. Agri- culture on the whole is in a backward state. The chief cereals grown are wheat, barley, rye, maize, and mezlin. The total area under cultivation in 1919 was 2,029,000 acres. The favorite crop is currant, the yield of which in 1919 was 145,000 tons. Olives are also of great importance. The production of olive oil in 1918 was 31,702,800 gallons, and the tobacco crop in the same year amounted to 48,699,000 pounds. In 1919 the tobacco crop was 57,198,455 pounds. The yield of wine in 1918 was 10,566,800 gallons, while the nut crop was about 5,000,000 pounds. The principal fruits grown are figs, oranges, mandarins, and lemons. Rice is cultivated in Macedonia. Cheese and other dairy products also form part of the agricultural industry. There were in 1917 2,218 factories, employing 36,124 wage earners, with products valued at 260,363,647 drach- mai. (A drachma! equals $0,193.) The production of cotton goods is the leading industry. There were in 1917 128,225 spindles and 16,965 looms. Mineral Prodtiction. — There is a con- siderable variety of mineral deposits which include iron, copper, zinc, lead, silver, manganese, aluminum, antimony, tin, nickel, etc. The laurium district of Thessaly and the .^gean Islands yield a large output of ores and earth. The chief mineral products in 1917 were as follows: iron, 63,364 tons; magnesite, 162,938 tons; salt, 45,560 tons; lead, 36,558 tons; zinc, 14,290 tons. The production of lignite coal in 1917 was 157,956 tons. Co^nmerce. — The total imports in 1917 were valued at $39,440,692, compared with a value in 1916 of $77,091,696. The chief articles of import are agricultural products, chemical products, cotton yarns and fabric, paper products and sugar. The exports in 1917 amounted to $21,191,911, compared with $32,852,564 in 1916. The chief exports are agri- cultural products, metals and minerals, oil and oil substances, and animal prod- ucts. The chief trade was with the United Kingdom, France and Italy. The imports of Greece from the United States for the fiscal year 1920 were valued at $48,707,778, while the exports to the United States amounted to $1,- 953,756. Communicationi. — There are in Greece about 1,400 miles of railway. Prior to the war with Turkey in 1912-13, Greece