| Primary
Source |
| Imperialism |
Colonial Policy | [P|S|M] |
Atlas German Colonies, with Yearbook, edited by the German Colonial Society, 1907, Deutsch-Ostafrika
|
Deutsch-Ostafrika
Size : including lake surface 995,000 square km (= twice the Reich).
Population : About 7 million. The most important element are Bantu
negroes. The Bantu in the southern part of the colony are related to the Zulu.
In the steppes of the north, until into the central region, the Massai which
penetrated into the area from the north, live in statelets (Hamites, speaking
languages of the Nilotic peoples). In the Northwest, between Lake Victoria and
Lake Tanganyika, as the ruling class among the Bantu, the Hamitic Wahuma or
Watussi. To the Zulus of the south belong the Wahehe, living under tribal
princes (in the Rufiji valley) and the Mafiti; both tribes migrated into the
area coming from the south.
The Suaheli are an ethnic mix of Arabs and indigenous; their idiom is the East
African lingua franca. Besides the indigenous, along the coast reside Arabs
(from Muscat and Shihiri), Baluchis, Indians, Parsees, Goanese, Syrians,
Egyptians, Turks. Europeans 1904 : 1437, of them Germans 1102. 1905 : 1873, of
them 1324 Germans and 316 adult women. Since 1904 the immigration of Boers into
the Kilimanjaro region (Moschi).
Morphology : Deutsch-Ostafrika is part of the plateau stretching from
Abyssinia to Cape Town, rising from the Indian Ocean westward toward the
interior. It is structured by several rifts extending in south-northerly
direction and reaches hights in the protectorate of 1,000 - 1,500 m and more.
At the northern border the double-peaked Kilimanjaro (western peak : Kibo, 6,010
m, eastern peak : Mawensi, 5,355 m), covers an area of 3,770 square km or 67
German square miles. To the left of the Kilimanjaro the Pangani, the Pare
Mountains, steeply declining toward the west; to the east the Usambara
Mountains. A continuation of the Pare Mountasins, on the right bank of the
Pangani, the Useguha Terrasse. The Nguru Mountains form the beginning of the rim
mountain range which continues, in the shape of a bow, through Usagara and Uhehe
and extends to the Nyassa. On the border between Ussagara and Uhehe the Ruhebo
Mountains. In the Njassa Mountains peaks of 3,000 m, on the northeastern corner
of Lake Njassa the Livingstone Mountains. In the protectorate's north west the
mountains of Urundi and Ruanda. In the rift to the north of Lake Kiwu the
Kirunga Volcanoes.
Hydrology : the plateau in general is mostly dry. Rivers feeding into the
Indian Ocean are, from north to south : the Umba, the Pangani (source at the
Kilimanjaro), the Wami and Kingani (estuary opposite Zanzibar), the Rufiji, with
the Kilombero and Ruaha; near the Rufiji estuary the island of Mafia; the Rowuma
(border river in the south).
Into Lake Tanganyika feed the Mlagarassi, into Lake Victoria-Njansa the Kagera,
the southernmost source of the Nile.
The three sweetwater lakes Lake Victoria-Njansa (1,180 m above sea level, 66,000
square km = size of the Kingdom of Bavaria), Lake Tanganjika (795 m above sea
level, 35,000 square km, size of East Prussia) and Lake Njassa (500 m above sea
level, 27,000 square km = province West Prussia) partially belong to the German
protectorate. To the west of the Kilimanjaro are located Lake Guassonjiro, Lake
Ejassi and Lake Manjara. Lake Rikwa, located norteast of Lake Nyasa, has an
altitude of 810 m and empties into a basin without outflow.
Climate : Deutsch-Ostafrika entirely belongs to the hot climactic zone.
From May to September the Southwest Passate wind is blowing, from December to
March the Northeast Passate. The winds carry moisture onto the land and
determine the rainy and dry seasons.
Along the coast the short rainy season is expected in November, the long one in
March and April. The coolest month is July, with nightly temperatures of 16
degrees Celsius, over day up to 35 degrees and more. Europeans can dwell in the
highlands without damaging their health.
Flora : Along the coast, especially in estuaries, swamp vegetation;
mangrove zone. Following Pori, bush steppe with frequent tree growth (Acacias,
Baobab, euphorbias etc.). In the mountains extensive forests with useful timber.
Cultivated plants : cotton, sisal, coffee, caoutchouc, cocoa palm, rice,
bananas, pineapple.
Fauna : tropical fauna with apes, large predator cats, pachyderms,
crocodiles. The protectorate's fauna is more closely related to that of southern
Africa than to that of western Africa. A distinct, peculiar character has the
fauna of the large lakes in the interior.
Minerals : In Ussongo and Ikome profitable gold deposits, at the
Mlagarassi salt deposits, along the Njassa perhaps profitable coal deposits. At
several places garnet and mica.
Trade : exported are caoutchouc, ivory, sesame, copal, coconuts, mats,
cotton, hemp, indigenous lumber, skins and furs, beeswax, horns, copra, coffee.
Total value of exports 1902 : 5,283,290 M., 1903 : 6,738,906 M., including the
export across the land border, registered for the first time; 1904 : 8,950,565
M., of these overseas 7,666,285 M., over the inland border 1,284,280 M., 1905 :
9,949,661 M., of which (p.18) 2,227,595 M. across the inland border. As our
protectorate does not provide over an efficient railroad network, about a
quarter of our export is attracted by the British Uganda Railroad.
Imported are cotton products, rice, flour, iron and ironwares, wine, beer,
butter, sugar, meat and various food, petrol, cement, vegetables and fruit,
tobacco, spirituals etc. Total value of imports 1902 : 8,858,463 M., 1903 :
10,688,804 M., including imports across inland border 11,188,052 M., 1904 :
14,338,880 M., of these from overseas 12,890,581 M., over the inland border
1,448,307 M., 1905 : 17,655,350 M., of which 1,951,793 M. (11 %) over the inland
border.
The Usambara Line is regularly served since 1905 on the stretch Tanga-Mombo over
129 km and enjoys rising popularity, also with the negroes. - Construction of
the Line Daressalam-Mrogoro (225 km), approved by the Reichstag in 1904, has
been begun in late 1904 and makes steady progress. Late in 1906 the first
stretch of 30 km opened for traffic. - The southern railroad line
Kilwa-Wiedhafen is explored.
On Lake Victoria the German pinasse "Ukerewe" is sailing, along with
many British steamers and many dhaus, both British and German. On Lake
Tanganyika the "Hedwig von Wissmann", on Lake Nyassa the "Hermann
von Wissmann".
Transit fee : Deutsche Ostafrikalinie, Line Genoa-Daressalam 1st class 675 Mark,
2nd class 350 Mark, main line Naples-Daressalam 1st class 750 Mark, 2nd class
525 Mark, 3rd class 300 Mark.
Postal and Telegraph Service : by the end of 1906 34 offices, among them
23 with telegram service and 4 with local telephone service; 1,994 km overland
telegraph cables and 136 km sea cables. 1905 : 2,013,600 letters, 52,442 postal
money orders, total amount 14,261,300 Mark; 12,460 parcels, 195,171 newspaper
issues, 137,535 telegrams, 55,841 telephone calls. Postal connection : 3 times a
month, time of delivery Berlin-Daressalam 19 to 25 days, telegram fee per word
to Bismarckburg and Udjidji 3.15 Mark, to the other offices 2.75 Mark.
Administration : Seat of the governor at Daressalam. The protectorate is
structured in now 22 districts. 12 of them are under civilian administration :
Tanga, Pangani, Bagamojo, Daressalam, Rufiji, Kilwa, Lindi, Wilhelmstal,
Morogoro, Langenburg, Ssongea, Mohorro and 12 [sic !] under military
administration : Kilimatinde, Mpapua, Iringa, Udjidji, Usumbura, Bismarckburg,
Tabora, Muansa, Bukoba, Mahenge.
Stations : Schutztruppe : Daressalam, Bukoba, Muansa, Moschi, Aruscha,
Udjidji, Tabora, Kilimatinde, Iringa, Mpapua, Kondoa-Irangi, Lindi,
Bismarckburg, Mahenge, Usumbura, Schirati, Ssongea. Police Force : Wilhelmstal,
Tanga, Pangani, Sadani, Bagamojo, Daressalam (seat of government),
Neu-Langenburg, Langenburg, Wiedhafen, Liwale, Kilwa, Tschole, Lindi,
Mikindani-Mohoro, Kilossa.
Schutztruppe : 1906: 2010 men.
|
|
Source:
Deutscher Kolonial-Atlas mit Jahrbuch (Atlas German Colonies with
Yearbook), edited by the Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft (German Colonial
Society). Berlin 1907, p.17f |
GM
(digitalisation) and AG
(translation)
posted on the web for psm-data;
many thanks to
Staatsbibliothek
zu Berlin / Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Kartenabteilung
Dokument in deutscher
Sprache
|
|
|
