African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 1077: Chapter 86: Population and Cities

In 1909, the once-a-decade population census in East Africa was conducted again, and the experienced East African government quickly obtained the approximate population data.

The East African government placed great emphasis on data such as the latest total population nationwide, current urbanization levels, and urban population size.

Although East Africa’s industry developed significantly during the first five-year plan, at that time East Africa did not have detailed statistics related to the data, which shrouded the current urbanization level in a layer of mystery.

For example, the East African government estimated in 1905 that the urbanization rate at the time was around twenty-seven percent, but this was just an estimate. With the extensive population census now underway, it will be possible to gain a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of East Africa’s national development over the past decade.

This population census was again led by the East African statistics department, involving rural and urban areas, and including special systems and departments such as the military.

Rhein Empire National Statistics Bureau Director Rousong: ”As of October 11, 1909, our nation’s mainland population totals 112.36 million, surpassing one hundred million for the first time, securing our position as the world’s fourth-largest populous nation, following the Far East Empire, the United Kingdom, and Russia, ahead of the United States and France.”

This data evidently included the population of other nations’ colonies, with the United Kingdom exceeding four hundred million with its colonies, and India alone surpassing two hundred million, while France with its colonies was close to one hundred million.

France’s mainland population still hasn’t exceeded forty million; early in the 19th century, France’s population exceeded thirty million, higher than then-unified Germany, not considering colonies, France’s population at that time ranked just behind the Far East Empire, Russia, and India.

Even mid-19th century, France’s population remained above Germany’s; France’s population was around thirty-five million while Germany’s was about twenty-seven million at that time. In 1910, France’s population was over thirty-nine million, nearing forty million while Germany had exceeded sixty million, even the United Kingdom’s mainland population had surpassed France marginally.

In recent decades, France’s population growth was just about four million, and the slow population growth was a major factor constraining France’s industrial development, directly manifested in the inability of French cities to attract enough domestic labor. In contrast, Germany has not only stimulated its industrial development through population growth benefits but also contributed significantly with the spillover population to countries like East Africa, the United States, Austria-Hungary, and Argentina.

In the past decade, the United States population growth was remarkably rapid, increasing from over seventy million to over ninety million. Besides the natural growth of the mainland population, the United States has reclaimed its title from East Africa as the world’s top destination for immigrants, coinciding with a peak of new births in the United States. Coupled with high birth rates and immigration, the United States’ population growth can be said to be second to none compared to East Africa, as the number of new people in the past decade itself is almost equivalent to much of America’s population.

As for Russia, its performance remained stable; according to the predictions of the East African government, Russia’s population might have already surpassed the 150 million mark.

”As of this year, our nation’s urbanization rate has reached twenty-eight point seven percent, with the national urban population exceeding the thirty million mark, making a solid step forward in urbanization.”

Before the first five-year plan, East Africa’s urbanization level was around twenty-three percent, and by the completion of the second five-year plan, East Africa’s urbanization level increased by approximately five percentage points.

This achievement is quite remarkable; the Soviet Union’s first two five-year plans saw an urbanization increase of about ten percent, although East Africa reached only half that of the Soviet Union.

The main reason lies in the strategic differences between East Africa and Soviet Union’s five-year plans; East Africa’s plans emphasized stability more than the Soviet Union’s initial plans, which were more radical by comparison, mobilizing the entire nation to develop industry intensively within a short time, making the Soviet Union’s results superior to East Africa’s only natural.

Moreover, the initial conditions faced by the two countries when implementing the five-year plans were different; during the Tsarist Russia period, the urbanization rate in Russia was at most about eighteen percent, whereas East Africa had already reached twenty-three percent before the first plan.

During the Soviet Russian era, due to domestic turbulence and wars having a severe negative impact on the initial regime, urbanization levels not only did not increase but fell, reaching a minimum of less than sixteen percent. When the Soviet Union implemented the five-year plans, the Soviet urbanization level was restored to the pre-war Russian level of eighteen percent.

And at low urbanization levels, the effectiveness of Soviet Union’s five-year plans was more pronounced, just like in exams, where the lower-score students have higher upward potential and greater prospects.

In contrast, East Africa’s industrial development exhibited continuity, having begun initial explorations of the five-year plan in the 1890s, allowing adept implementation into the 20th century while experiencing minimal external interference.

This external interference, besides invasions from other countries, also included the impact of the world market; during the Soviet Union’s five-year plans, capitalist nations were experiencing a Great Depression economically, whereas East Africa did not have such an opportunity, hence East Africa’s industrial plans were comparatively moderate to that of the Soviet Union.

Rousong continued: ”The city’s population has continued to grow over the past decade, with the urban population size nearly doubling from more than one million.”

Before the first five-year plan, East Africa’s urban population was around eighteen million, and by the end of the second five-year plan, East Africa’s industrial population increased to more than thirty million, wherein besides the increased urbanization level, the national population growth in East Africa is also an undeniable factor.

In 1900, East Africa’s population was just over eighty million, and now it has exceeded one hundred million, so without change in the urbanization rate, East Africa’s urban population will also increase massively, making urban population growth closely linked to national industrial development policies. Without sound policy guidance, population growth could even become a burden on industrial development.

”As of this October, our nation has sixty-three cities with populations exceeding one hundred thousand, including Dar es Salaam City with a population exceeding one million for the first time, Mombasa’s population also increased to nine hundred thousand, while twelve cities have populations exceeding five hundred thousand.”

The pace of urban development in East Africa is relatively rapid; although East Africa only possesses one city exceeding one million population and it has just crossed the million mark, still inconspicuous compared to other nations, East Africa has a large number of medium-sized cities with populations exceeding five hundred thousand, and numerous cities exceeding one hundred thousand.

Simultaneously, Germany has over forty cities with populations exceeding one hundred thousand, with Berlin’s population nearing three million, achieving an urbanization rate exceeding sixty percent.

This also illustrates the current gap between East Africa’s industry and Germany’s, as East Africa’s population is nearly double that of Germany, yet the urban population quantity only matches Germany’s level from late last century.

”Our medium and large cities are mainly concentrated in the east and west coasts and central region, with the west and Mozambique regions experiencing the fastest urban population growth, and other regions having relatively slower urban population growth.”

Industry and transportation layout have enabled relatively balanced city development in East Africa, especially benefiting new city developments like Bela, Cabinda, Luanda, and East Africa’s capital, Rhine.

This has caused East Africa’s policies to tilt towards these regions, otherwise cities like Dar es Salaam would have had their populations exceed one million by the last century.

East Africa’s urbanization rate still has significant room for growth; for example, the urbanization in the United States is around fifty percent, about twenty percentage points higher than East Africa, although East Africa’s urbanization level also exceeds the world’s average, steadily progressing towards the direction of industrialized strong nations.

In addition to its own citizens, Black population data is another aspect the East African government is particularly focused on, although with the two five-year plans underway, there could be significant reduction in the number of blacks in East Africa.

Sure enough, Rousong said: ”By 1909, the number of illegal laborers in our nation was around seven million, with most concentrated in the west, south, and north.”

The Black population in East Africa has completely fallen below ten million, playing a negligible role in East Africa’s population structure. Even if an East African version of ”Black Slave Liberation” movement happens now, it would not cause upheaval in East African society.