African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 94: Chapter 90: New Administrative Divisions (Easter Egg Chapter Map for Reference)

August 11, 1867.

With the last group of Sultanate of Zanzibar nationals sent to Zanzibar Island, the East African Colony has completely gained control over the mainland territory of the Sultanate.

In order to facilitate the management of the colony and thoroughly assimilate these newly acquired lands,

After a series of studies and discussions by Ernst and the top officials of the colonial government, the administrative divisions of the East African Colony were further subdivided.

Firstly, the Kenyan colony was split into three administrative regions and merged into the East African Colony, from west to east.

The western region, with Kisumu on the north shore of Kavirondo Bay (Lake Victoria) as its capital, established the Western District of Kenya.

Kisumu, like Mwanza, is located along the bay shore of the Great Lake (Lake Victoria). Previously, Kisumu was the third-largest city in Kenya, while Mwanza was the second-largest city in Tanzania. This shows the superior conditions of the Great Lakes Region.

In the future, once the plague in the northwest subsides, capturing the capital of the Buganda Kingdom, Kampala, will allow the construction of a triumvirate of cities and economic development surrounding the Great Lakes Region.

The central region, with Nairobi as its capital, established the Central District of Kenya.

Nairobi needs no explanation. Previously it was the capital of Kenya, and also the largest city in East Africa, with great development potential. Currently, the coffee planting in the East African Colony is not far from Nairobi.

The eastern region, with Mombasa as its capital, established the Eastern District of Kenya.

Mombasa, as one of the two most important future ports in East Africa (the other being Dar es Salaam), possesses excellent transportation conditions and is currently the most prosperous and lively area within Kenya.

In addition to dividing Kenya, Ernst and the East African colonial government also made slight adjustments to the administrative divisions within Tanzania.

Firstly, the central location of the East African colonial government, First Town, had its jurisdiction redefined, incorporating Bajamojo and Dar es Salaam, and establishing the Central District.

The newly established Central District, though the smallest in area among all administrative districts in the East African Colony, is the strongest in power. Besides hosting First Town, the administrative center of East Africa, it also includes the port cities of Bajamojo and Dar es Salaam, as well as the earliest planned immigration point, Second Town.

The infrastructure development in these four cities can be said to be the most comprehensive in the current East African Colony, and the future development prospects are also promising.

Meanwhile, the capital of the Upper Coastal Area was changed from Third Town (Kitong’a) to Tanga.

Tanga Port, as one of the only four port cities in the current East African Colony, is also one of the rare cities in the East African Colony with industry (sisal processing plant), with potential far exceeding that of Third Town.

Kitong’a is too close to First Town, making it difficult to highlight its advantages, so it was downgraded. However, due to the early advantage, Third Town remains the second-largest city in the Upper Coastal Area.

With the departure of the residents of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, other territories along the coast of former Zanzibar were also incorporated into the nearby major districts.

Thus, the Central Coastal Area and Lower Coastal Area also became coastal major regions. From south to north, the coastal major regions of the East African Colony are the Eastern District of Kenya, Upper Coastal Area, Central District, Central Coastal Area, and Lower Coastal Area.

This increased the number of major regions in the East African Colony from ten to fourteen (First Town became the Central District, plus the three districts of Kenya).

And in order to develop the southern part of the East African Colony, this conference also decided to establish a new port city along the southern coastal area of the East African Colony.

That is in Mtwara, in the Lower Coastal Area, mainly serving the Lower Coastal Area and Eastern Lake Malawi Region.

Due to previous policies of the East African Colony and geographic location, the Lower Coastal Area and Eastern Lake Malawi Region can be considered the two most inconspicuous major regions in the East African Colony.

The main direction of development and expansion of the East African Colony was primarily westward and northward, and there was a battle with the Sultanate, so the south was never focused on.

This caused the migration rate to be even slower than in the inland regions to the west and at the same level as several major districts in the central area.

The center regions have fewer immigrants, which is understandable as they are at the core of the East African Colony and face fewer threats.

But the south cannot be neglected. The Portuguese in the south are not to be underestimated. Even though Portugal has been declining in recent years, its overseas forces are not something Ernst or even the current Prussia and Austria-Hungary can easily challenge.

Therefore, strengthening the southern population and consolidating the security of the East African Colony is extremely important.

The colonial powers of this era have great autonomy, so even if Portugal itself harbors no ambition toward the East African Colony, the top officials of Portuguese East Africa may still have ulterior motives, which their homeland cannot control.

The Portuguese have been present in the Mozambique region since 1497. Its Mozambique colony (also known as Portuguese East Africa) has a history of no less than four hundred years.

Such deep-rooted rule remains quite stable. Historically, the Portuguese have eyed the East African Colony, even clashing with the Sultanate of Zanzibar.

Therefore, they cannot be underestimated. The capital of the Lower Coastal Area, Ron Roda, and the Eastern Lake Malawi Region capital, Songea, are very close to Portuguese East Africa, necessitating an enhancement of military strength in both places to deter the Portuguese.

The colonial activities of this era aren’t all that glamorous, essentially consisting of a group of people wielding advanced weapons to conquer underdeveloped regions and plunder local resources.

Superior resources, like gold and silver mines, naturally attract competition, so conflicts among colonizers frequently occur.

East Africa, comparatively, is quite barren, lacking outstanding resources, and the environment isn’t particularly advantageous. Vast grasslands couldn’t even compete with West Africa during the slave trade era.

The only advantage of the East African Colony is that Ernst personally planned its development route and greatly promoted its construction.

Thus, the East African Colony everywhere reflects the superiority of planning; the immigrant numbers within the colony are rapidly increasing, while the native numbers are rapidly decreasing.

For example, the neighboring Portuguese, who developed Mozambique for hundreds of years, their immigrant numbers did not surpass those of the East African Colony which has been developing for less than two years. Moreover, they heavily relied on Black labor, letting it flourish. Currently, it seems satisfying but it sowed the seeds for the future independence of Portuguese East Africa (independent in 1975).

In the previous life, Portuguese East Africa ruled Mozambique for five hundred years. It’s not an exaggeration to say it has always been under its control, yet eventually left in disarray.

In the current East African Colony, the number of natives plummeted from millions to hundreds of thousands, and they are still considered expendable. In the future, the scale will continue to decline. In a few years, the entire East African Colony will be dominated by European and Chinese immigrants (complete eradication won’t be possible in twenty to thirty years, as they are still needed for future major projects).