Statistical Handbook of Middle Eastern Countries, Palestine, Cyprus, Egypt

THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/statisticalhandbOOjewi JEWISH AGENCY FOR PAI^ESTINE ECONOMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE STATISTICAL HANDBOOK OF MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES PALESTINE, CYPRUS, EGYPT, IRAQ, THE LEBANON, SYRIA, TRANSJORDAN, TURKEY JERUSALEM, 1945 DISTRIBUTOR: D. B. AARONSON, P. O. B. 1175, JERUSALEM FOREWORD TO SECOND EDITION. This Handbook went out of print shortly after its first appearance, and a second edition was decided upon in response to numerous requests. In addition to the correction of certain misprints, the present issue includes an outline table as well as a supplement contaming new figures which have meanwhile become available. These additional statistics have been given the same serial numbers as the corresponding tables in the main text. The footnote signs are likewise those of the main tables. Suggestions for improvements or amendments to be included in any later edition will be appreciated. Jerusalem, April 1945. A. B. Copyright 1 944 by ihe Economic Research Institute of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, Jerusalem. Reprinted (with additions), 1945. Printed in Palestine by Stereotypes at tbe Azriel Printing Works, Jerusalem. -' PREFACE. -5 Modern economic policy has become almost entirely dependent on re- liable information regarding the processes and tendencies of economic and social life, which has been reduced to numerical statements and relationships. The growing complexity of modern society, the close connections to be found between the priyate and public fields of economy, the degree to which Government finance is dependent on foreign trade, employment, price level and other indices of economic development — all these make it necessary for the figures and data of economic and social life to be constantly available if state and political activities are to be successfully conducted nowadays. This fact has led to a great extension of statistical services throughout the world during the past two decades. Numerous new institutions for the collection of statistical data have been established; while among the existent bodies the field regarded as calling for exact knowledge has become steadily larger. The programmes for and requirements of reconstruction and post- war cooperation contain proposals for the further improvement of statistical methods and the expansion of international statistical institutions as prere- quisite conditions; particularly in order to help ensure that the data received may be capable of international comparison. The importance of such statistical measurements of national and international conditions is constantly borne in mind as far as Western countries are concerned. Yet it is even more necessary to make statistical data available regarding countries whose statistical standards are far below those attained in the West. This does not in the least mean that important statistical institutions and outstanding achievements in single fields are not to be founds * on the contrary, all that we know regarding a number of important groups of facts in Middle Eastern countries actually derives from the work of their existent central statistical offices. Yet the defective nature of the material, the difficulties of statistical work in countries with a large percentage of illiterates in the population, and a mentality which does not always view with favour • the exact and numerical approach to reality, have worked to depress the general level of statistical knowledge. In the Middle East there are at present four countries which regularly issue Statistical Yearbooks. These are: Egypt, Turkey, Palestine and Iraq. While certain sections of these publications provide excellent information, other parts necessarily show gaps. For the other countries of the Midddle East general publications, official and non-official, as well as other sources, have hitherto had to be used. At the same time the need for a handy compilation of the most important data regarding these countries has become steadily more noticeable of late. The tendency towards regional cooperation has likewise increased the need for comparable data in respect of countries adjacent to one another. For all these reasons the Economic Research Institute of the Jewish Agency some time ago decided, to prepare the issue of the present Statistical Handbook. Preparation demanded more time than had originally been envi- saged. It was necessary to obtain the data required, much of which was received only as a result of prolonged correspondence and effort. Numerous contradictions between the figures obtained, even in respect of identical facts, had to be cleared up. In this connection special thanks are due to officials 540820 LIBRAR? and the official bodies that have been kind enough to supply us with material and information, as indicated more particularly in the list of sources. ' This work is not intended to replace the detailed statistical yearbooks available for certain countries, or to fill those gaps which result from the absence,, in many cases, of primary statistics. Its function is to provide a« handy reference-book for economists, statesmen, those concerned with population policy and, in general, students for whom the original publications are not available. The Institute and its co-workers know tlikt in the present form the book is incomplete, yet they trust that in due course they will have opportunities of completing what is lacking, and of improving it. The material of the book is divided by countries in a series of chief sections. It was found impossible to arrange the figures for all countries for the same years. Moreover, definitions adopted in the various countries for the collection and compilation of statistics often vary; a fact which limits possibilities of comparison. Although every effort has been made to select representative data on land tenure and industrial conditions, large gaps have had to be left in these particularly important fields. The war has also had re- percussions in the statistical field, and a not inconsiderable part of the statistical information is at present withheld from publication. This applies in particular to foreign trade, industrial output and vital statistics. It is to be hoped that fuller data may become available at the end of the war, and likewise through the inauguration of new statistical investigations and services in the countries concerned. The preparation of the material was origirully undertaken by a com- mittee consisting of Drs. E. Bromberger, E. Pines, G. Cyderovich and A. Koni- koff, and Messrs. R. Ruppin, A. Margalith and J. Hermann, headed by the undersigned. Messrs. Ruppin, Margalith and Hermann had to interrupt theii work when they joined the army. The final preparation and selection of rhc material was entrusted to Dr. E. Bromberger and Dr. Esther Pines, to whom thanks are tendered here for their care and devotion. A. Bonni Jerusalem, July 1944. CONTENTS No.,f No. of Table Page Table Page Preface ' III 5 Vital Statistics 39 ~ Contents V 6 Literacy 40 v^orrigencia VII 7 Occupation 40 Weigtit*. Measures and Signs VIII 8 Earners and Dependants 40 9 Classification of Land 41 PALESTINE 10 Rural Households 41 1 1 Livestock 1 Temperature 2 41 2 Rainfall 2 12 Principal Crops 42 3 Area, Population, Density 3 13 State Forests 43 4 Urban and Rural Population 3 14 Fishing 43^ 5 Main Towns 4 15 Wages 43 6 Population by Religion 4 16 Industrial Establishments 44 7 Population by Occupation 1 7 Shipping 44 and Religion 5 18 Railways 45 19 Civil 8 Jewish Earning Population . 5 Aviation 45 9 Literacy by Religion 6 20 Postal Statistics 45 ^ 21 of 10 Birthplace and Religion 6 Summary Foreign Trade . 46 H Vital Statistics 7 22 Foreign Trade by Classes 46 12 Vital Statistics by Religion 7 23 Principal Imports 47 13 Jewish Immigration ' 8 24 Principal Exports 47 14 Immigration 9 25 Imports and Exports by Countries 48 15 Jewish Prod, of Milk, Eggs 26 Minerals . 48 27 Bank Deposite 49 and Vegetables , 9 16 Social Forms of Jewish Agriculture 10 28 Currency 49 17 Fishing 11 29 Summary of Government Finance 49 18 Livestock 11 30 Revenue and Expenditure by Classes 50 19 Principal Crops 12/13 3_£ Cooperative Societies 51 , 20 Forest Reserves 14 21 Minerals 14 EGYPT 22 Summary of Jewish Industry 14 1 Temperature 54 23' Jewish Industry. 1943 15 2 Rainfall 54 Industry, 1937 15 24 Jewish 3 Population and Main Towns 54^ 25 Jewish Industry. 1937 1 6 4 Area, Population, Density 55 26 Electricity ,- 17 5 Age by Sex 55 27 Railways 17 6 Citizenship by Religion 56 28 Roads and Motor Vehiclaa 18 7 Population by Birthplace 56 29 Civil Aviation 18 8 Conjugal Condition and Sex 57 30 Postal Statistics 18 9 Marriage by Age 57 31 Shipping 19 10 Literacy by Religion 58 Foreign 19 32 Summary of Trade 11 Vital Statistics 59 33 Imports and Exports by Classes 20 12 Population by Occupations 59 Exports 34 Principal 21 13 Classification of Land 60 35 Principal Imports 22/23 14 Land-Ownership 60 36 Import and Exports by Countries 24 15 Private and Public Land 61 37 Citrus Fruits Exported 25 16 Cotton 61 ^8 Bank Deposits 25 1 7 Principal Crops 62 59 Currency 26 1 8 Livestock 62 40 Summary of Govern. Finance 26 19 Industry 63 41 Revenue and Expenditure by Classes 27 20 Principal Products 63 42 Finances of Jewish National 21 H.P. in Industry 64 Institutions 28/29 22 Minerals 64 43 Income of Jewish National 23 Railways 65 Institutions 30 24 Civil Aviation 66 44 Cooperative Societies 31 25 Motor Vehicles 66 45 Wholesale Prices 32 26 Suez Canal Traffic * 66 46 Retail Prices on Jewish Markets 33 27 Shipping 67 47 Retail Prices on Arab Markets 34 28 Sun.mary of Foreign Trade 67 48 Wages 35 29 Imports by Classes 68 30 Exports by Classes 68 ' CYPRUS 31 Principal Imports 69 ' 1 Temperature 38 32 Principal Excorts 70 2 Rainfall 38 33 Imports and Exports by Countries 71 3 Area, Population, Density 39 34 Summary of Government Finance 72 4 Main Towns " - 39 35 Revenue by Classes 72 V 51 No.

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