The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

SWEDISH ARMY AND NAVY—FINANCE. 167nothing beyond a trifling sum to the National Bank ; but since then she hasraised several loans, amounting altogether to about £11,800,000, bearing an annualinterest of something over £575,000, and all guaranteed by State property. Thenetwork of railways alone represented, in 1876, a capital of £9,440,000, besidesadvances of £3,480,000 made to private companies. The State, moreover, ownssome £4,000,000 variously invested, lands let out at good leases, and vast tractsunder timber, comprising in 1878 a total area of forest and unreclaimed lands of13,063,000 acres, nominally valued at £1,800,000, yielding a revenue, in 1876, of£27,200, and yearly increasing by fresh purchases. The total valuation of thefinancial situation shows a sum of £8,054,000 to the good.The communal finances are not quite so flourishing, but although several communesare in debt, the amounts are more than covered by their assets. Theassessed value of landed estates is given at £101,096,000, which is under theirreal value, and to this sum must be added £35,000,000 for other real property.Insurances have been effected in exclusively Swedish companies to the extentaltogether of over £100,000,000.Sweden has no colonies, the island of St. Bartholomew, in the West Indies,ceded to her in 1784, having been sold to France in 1878.The state is divided into twenty-four provinces (/an).** For population of provinces and principal towns see Appendix.N 2