Spain, though these were subsequently replaced in
part.
Of the 600,000 inhabitants in 1811, about 274) ° ° °
were whites, 212,000 slaves, and 114,000 free persons
of colour. T h e first quarter of this century was a
period of great prosperity, and coffee plantations
were especially profitable. That was the leading
staple, and the production reached over 90,000,000
pounds, valued at $20,000,000, in one year. The
fall in price and the advance of sugar to the position
of the most profitable crop caused coffee to fall
behind, and in recent years that interest has been
comparatively unimportant. The population of the
island reached 900,000 in 1841» and the relative
increase was greatest with the white race, which
then included 418,000 of the inhabitants to 152,000
free coloured persons and 330,000 slaves. The
changing ratio continued down to the disturbances
of the last war. T h e population at the outbreak of
the insurrection was calculated, upon the normal
increase after the census of 1887, to be about 1,650,-
000, and of this 950,000 was said to be made up of
white creoles, that is, native descendants of European
settlers; 500,000 were negroes, and 150,000
Spaniards of European birth. There were also about
50,000 Chinamen. T h e Mongolians were mostly
brought as coolies for plantation work after the
abolition of slavery. T h e density of population
differed widely in the different provinces, averaging
2.10 per square kilometre in Puerto Principe, 7-75 in
Santiago, 15.09 in Pinar del Rio, 15.34 in Santa
Clara, 30.59 in Matanzas, and 52.49 in Havana.