Chapter 73: Population Challenges and Strategies
The East African colony had expanded to an impressive area, covering about 1.2 million square kilometers. This included the entire territory of Tanzania and a significant portion of Kenya, though the northern region was still under Arab and indigenous influence and had not been annexed.
The immigrant population in this vast territory numbered approximately 200,000. Recent months had seen a significant influx of nearly 50,000 immigrants from the Austrian Empire, with the remainder consisting of Chinese immigrants.
The East African colony had benefited from the Austro-Hungarian Empire's transformation from the Austrian Empire, attracting approximately 30,000 immigrants from the Austrian Empire in the first month. However, this rate had dropped to around 3,000 immigrants per month. Meanwhile, Chinese immigrants, initially diverted to the Alaska colony due to labor shortages, were now arriving in East Africa at a stable rate of about 10,000 per month. Ernst expected this number to increase to approximately 15,000 per month once the population in Alaska stabilized at around 30,000.
Given the predominantly agricultural nature of the immigrant population and their relatively high fertility rate, the colony's population was growing rapidly. The colonies prioritized hygiene and health, leading to low infant mortality rates.
However, the immigrant population was still significantly smaller compared to the nearly two to three million indigenous inhabitants of the East African colonies. The vast grasslands, abundant wildlife, favorable climate, and availability of wild fruits provided space and sustenance for the indigenous communities, even as they lost large tracts of fertile land to the colonial settlers.
Ernst viewed these factors as potential sources of instability and recognized that he could only relax when all indigenous populations in the current East African colony were under control.
Despite a year of intense slave hunting, the slave traders in Zanzibar had only managed to capture around 200,000 indigenous people, which was a small fraction of the total indigenous population.
This highlighted the importance of the recent slave trade expansion into the Middle East. Ernst sought to establish a transnational marriage company that would purchase slaves from the Sultanate of Zanzibar, primarily targeting the Middle East, especially the Ottoman Empire. The plan was to obtain Armenian women from the Ottoman Empire. However, if the Sultanate of Zanzibar were strong enough, other Arab regions could also be considered as sources of brides. This operation would not only help reduce tensions within the Ottoman Empire but also generate profits for the East African colony.
Ernst believed that the Ottoman Empire, motivated by profit, would likely agree to this proposal. It would be portrayed as a marriage introduction rather than slave trading, making it difficult for Western countries to criticize. The narrative would emphasize the concept of "free love."
This policy would not be limited to the Middle East, as Ernst intended to involve his old ally, the Dutch, who possessed numerous colonies in the Far East, in a similar venture. The principle was simple: if it could generate income, it should benefit friends.
The second challenge faced by the colony was the skewed gender and ethnic balance. The large proportion of single men among early Chinese immigrants was seen as a potential source of instability in the colony's future. While immigration from the Austrian Empire could alleviate this to some extent, the colony aimed for a more balanced ratio between the Chinese and white populations, ideally achieving a 20-80 balance.
Language was another issue. To address this, Ernst required some Chinese immigrants to learn German in their daily lives. The current ratio of Chinese to white immigrants was approximately three to one, but many Austrian immigrants were not proficient in German. This posed a challenge for the colonial government's German education efforts.
The third challenge revolved around the large indigenous population. The land controlled by the East African colony accounted for only 20% of the entire East African colony's territory, consisting of fertile lands with excellent transportation infrastructure. The remaining 80% was distributed among various indigenous tribes.
Ernst's priority for the coming year was to gather all the indigenous populations within the colony and relocate them west of the Great Lakes, specifically to Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. By doing so, he aimed to exert pressure on the indigenous countries in that region, as their land was limited, and the population was large.
Ernst understood that this plan carried risks, as it would lead to cultural clashes and potential conflicts between the indigenous communities and those relocated from the East African colonies. Nonetheless, he believed it was necessary to secure the land within his control and address the population challenges faced by the colony.
This strategy focused on consolidating existing territories, stabilizing the colony's population structure, and filling the vast lands of the East African colony with immigrants.
(End of Chapter 73)