MARKETS FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND I. INTRODUCTION. Of all the Central and South American Republics north of the Equator none is more worthy of close study by American interests than Venezuela. Americans interesting themselves in Venezuela should realize, however, that the country is sparsely populated and that more than 70 per cent of the people are poor, with a very limited purchasing power. With the exception of imports of flour, lard, lumber, cement, certain lines of dry goods, typewriters, cash registers, sewing machines, and a few other articles in which Europe does not compete, the main current of importation into Venezuela has been from European countries, which for many years have made a careful study of the merchandise and packing requirements of the Republic. Backed by ample banking facilities, European firms have given liberal and long credits to facilitate the sale of their products. With the outbreak of the war and the complete or partial closing of many markets that were ordinarily accustomed to fill the requirements of this trade, merchants sought the American market and have lately increased their importations from that source to quite a remarkable extent. Merchants in Venezuela find it difficult, however, to realize the conditions that have been developing in the United States as a result of the world's demand for merchandise and e consequent higher and ever higher prices and greater and greater day when the old current of operations from European countries delays in filling orders. They are therefore looking forward to the shall be resumed. Americans should not fail to realize that the unusual amount of trade that they have secured since the beginning the of the war may be lost to them when peace is an accomplished fact. in having their attention drawn to the commercial possibilities of Americans will have gained one marked and permanent advantago Venezuela and the industrial enterprises that are only awaiting an investment of American capital, ingenuity, and managerial ability. The potentialities of the country in this respect are very great and thoroughly deserving of the closest examination and study. Venezuela has a responsible Government and respects all foreign interests. ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE COUNTRY. watered by the Orinoco River and its tributaries. Extensive areas Starting from the Equator, one finds an immense tract of land of land to the west are given up to cattle ranges, and the forest produces great quantities of valuable woods and other forest products, such as rubber, chicle, mahogany, cedar, ebony, and the tonka 100538°-17-2 7 beans that are so extensively used in the tobacco industry. To the west and south of Ciudad Bolivar, which is the chief commercial city on the Orinoco and is situated about 240 miles from its mouth, there is a large section of mineral land, known as the Guasipati region, that is well worth the closest investigation. Here is located the famous Callao gold mine; but with this and possibly one other exception, none of the properties has been developed with anything like North American ingenuity and up-to-date machinery. One of the difficulties has been the lack of roads, which has tended to prevent development by foreign interests. The present Government has done much in the last few years to open up the country by an extensive program of road construction. It is planning a good road from Ciudad Bolivar into the mining regions which will facilitate travel in those regions and vastly reduce the present exorbitant traffic charges on material carried into the interior. To the north of the Orinoco and east of a line drawn from Ciudad Bolivar to Cumana there are extensive pasture lands and, toward the Caribbean Sea, great areas dedicated to the culture of cacao, coffee, and sugar cane. Cultivation is carried on in a very primitive way; plows and other field equipment are altogether unknown, and in the cultivation of sugar cane the machete is the tool that answers all requirements. Nevertheless, because of the extreme fertility of the soil, the fields, whether of cane, maize, tobacco, beans, or yucca, etc., show a wonderful development of plant growth, with proportionately heavy yields. With respect to sugar cane, cotton, and rice, it may be said that this part of the country has wonderful possibilities and the prospects are well worth competent study. In the central section of the Republic there are extensive coffee and cacao plantations, large areas devoted to cattle ranches and others planted in sugar cane, with numerous "trapiches" (native sugar mills) producing the brown sugar known as "papelón." At the capital, Caracas, there are a number of manufacturing interests, but on account of the high cost of transportation from the port of La Guaira to Caracas, new manufacturing enterprises will probably find other locations better suited to their purposes. The western section of the country includes the region tributary to the large inland sea of Maracaibo, with fertile lands stretching for hundreds of miles to the south, southeast, and southwest right into the famous hill country, so prolific in the production of coffee and other crops. The territory surrounding Lake Maracaibo is gradually being developed, to the south with sugar plantations, and to the east and west by the opening up of petroleum and asphalt deposits. Two serious objections to American enterprise in this section must be pointed out-first, the present generally unhealthful condition of the lowlands and, second, the shallow entrance to the lake from the sea, which materially increases the cost of transportation on all produce coming from that section. Both these objections can be overcome, and no doubt will be in the future. TOPOGRAPHY. In Venezuela there are three very distinct zones-the mountains, the plains, and the forests. The important mountain groups comprise the Andes, the Coast Range, and the Guayana or Parima Ranges. In the Andes are to be found the highest mountain peaks, covered with perpetual snow. A branch of the Colombian Andes penetrates the western limits of Venezuela at the Paramo de Tama, an important geological knot of 3,606 meters (11,829 feet) elevation; forming the western frontier of the Republic, it continues in a pronounced range toward the north, ending in the Goajira Peninsula. Another branch of the Andes, to the south of Lake Maracaibo, runs in a northeasterly direction, rises in great ranges in the region of Merida and Trujillo, and falls off toward the northeast, until it disappears at the place called El Altar. The most notable peaks of this system are La Corona, with two peaks 4,942 and 4,883 meters (15,910 and 16,016 feet) above the sea, and Piedras Blancas, of 4,762 meters (15,619 feet); there are also other peaks of great height. Beyond El Altar the mountains of the Coast Range begin to rise, their foothills on the north descending to the Caribbean Sea. In the interior is the beautiful Lake of Valencia. The principal heights of this system are the Pico de Naiguata, 2,765 meters (9,069 feet) and the Silla de Caracas, 2,637 meters (8,649 feet). This range terminates abruptly at Cape Codera. To the east of Cape Codera there is a plain that forms a natural entrance from the coast to the interior of the country. The Coast Range again rises near the city of Barcelona, extending east and northeast and including the entire lengths of the peninsulas of Araya and Paria. Within these mountains the lagoons of Campoma and Putucual are located. The principal elevations are the Pico Turumiquire, 2,600 meters (8,528 feet); San Bonifacio, 1,500 meters (4,920 feet); Cerro Purgatorio, 1,550 meters (5,084 feet), and Tataracual, 1,460 meters (4,789 feet). In the interior, extending from the foot of the Andes and the Coast Range Mountains, are the plains of Venezuela, with an area of 225,000 square kilometers (86,866 square miles). The southern limits of this region are the great Orinoco River and its important tributaries, the Arauca and the Meta. In The system of Parima consists of a large number of isolated mountains, sometimes forming small ranges, all of which bear the names of the rivers between which they are located-Alto Orinoco, Ventuari, Atabapo, Inirida, Sipapo, Guainia, and Casiquiare. To this group belong the Sierra Parima, Palcabuca, Paragua, Mapichi, Maturan, and Maraguaca, with considerable elevations, such as the Penon de Maraguaca, 2,330 meters (7,642 feet) above the sea. the system Caura-Ventuari, with the ranges Merebari, Maigualinda, Matos, and Cuchivero, the Cerro Matos is 1,863 meters (6,111 feet) in height; Cervatana, 1,320 meters (4,330 feet), and Maniapure, 1,170 meters (3,838 feet). Other systems are the Caura-Caroni and the Imataca, which are rather low, with a maximum elevation of 710 meters (2,329 feet), and, last, the system of Roraina, on the border of British Guiana, with the ranges of Ronocote and Venamo. The highest peak of these ranges is that of Roraina, 2,630 meters (8,626 feet) above sea level. The surfaces covered by the various mountain systems of Venezuela are as follows: Venezuelan Andes, 57,600 square kilometers (22,237 square miles); Sierra Perija toward Goajira, 12,000 square kilometers (4,633 square miles); ranges of Coro, 40,200 square kilometers (15,520 square miles); central Coast Range, 44,000 square kilometers (16,987 square miles); eastern Coast Range, 15,000 square kilometers (5,791 square miles); total, 168,800 square kilometers (65,168 square miles). These different mountain groups inclose extensive areas that, in separate hydrographic bottoms, collect the rainfall, or water resulting from filtration, and carry it to the small rivers. These flow into the principal rivers, which give the depressions their names. The Andes limit the water flowing into Lake Maracaibo, and the Coast Ranges the water passing directly to the sea and to the Lake of Valencia. The rest of the country is drained by the Orinoco and the Rivers Negro and Cuyuni. It may be seen by examining the map of Venezuela that there is a plain and natural inlet extending from Puerto Cabello via San Felipe and the Abra de Altar, communicating at the foot of the Andes with all the high plains; there is another such inlet by the way of Barcelona, and a third one by the delta of the Orinoco. CLIMATE. Venezuela is situated between 1° and 12° 5' north latitude, and at its central meridian is about 4.5 hours west of Greenwich. The branches of the Andes that cross the country give it a very varied climate. There is a dry and a rainy season. In general, the latter lasts from the beginning of May to the beginning of November and the former for the rest of the year. Frequently, however, the rainy season does not begin until the end of May or the beginning of June. At times the heavy rains last until the end of November. Between November and April heavy drizzles frequently occur, which the farmers call "Nortes" and which are beneficial to the cultivation of small fruit, beans, corn, etc. The month of February is generally dry. As regards temperature, practically the same division may be made. As a rule it is warm during the rainy season. At the end of March and during April much heat is experienced. The maximum temperature rises in some places to 36° C. (97° F.), while it may be as low as 5° or 6° C. (41° to 43° F.) and even less in some small towns in the Andes. In Caracas, the capital, situated 922 meters (3,024 feet) above sea level, the temperature does not reach these extremes. Only rarely does the maximum reach 32° C. (90° F.) or the minimum go below 9° C. (48° F.), while the average annual temperature is 19.5° C. (67.1° F.). In general, along the coast of Venezuela the thermometer rises to 34° or 35° C. (93° to 95° F.) during the wet season and falls to 18° or 20° C. (54° to 68° F.) during the dry season. A short distance toward the interior, in the mountain region, the climate is much milder. The rainfall varies according to the region. On the coast it generally amounts to more than 1 meter (3.28 feet). In some places, such as Puerto de la Cruz, situated about 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of La Guaira, it amounts to 2 meters (6.56 feet), while in Caracas the amount of rainfall is only 800 millimeters (31.5 inches). The following table shows the average rainfall in the different months in Caracas, in Merida, situated in the Venezuelan Andes at 1,600 meters |