Chapter 109: Data
Ernst sat in an armchair, meticulously examining the year's data for the East African colony. The territorial expansion of the colony had continued, with the northern part of Kenya now under East African colonial government sovereignty. This expansion brought the total area of the East African colony to approximately 1.4 million square kilometers, encompassing much of what had been Tanzania and Kenya in Ernst's previous life (with exceptions like Zanzibar Island and Kenya's northeastern coastal desert).
The registered immigrant population in the East African colonies had reached 582,413 people. However, this number didn't account for the indigenous black population, which ranged from 400,000 to 800,000. This increase had exceeded Ernst's and the East African government's initial estimate of nearly 500,000 immigrants for the year. The influx of Paraguayan War immigrants and South German region immigrants contributed to this growth.
The composition of immigrants had shifted due to these new sources. Chinese immigrants remained the largest group, totaling around 300,000. Immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian Empire came second, at nearly 200,000, followed by Paraguayan immigrants (mainly women and children), Middle Eastern immigrants like Armenians, and immigrants from the German region.
When considering nationalities, Germans constituted a significant portion of immigrants, ranking third overall. A substantial number of immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian Empire were also Germans.
The South German region had yet to fully utilize its potential, but it was optimistically projected to recruit at least 200,000 Germans in the coming year.
The fluctuating number of indigenous captives was due to their significant role in labor-intensive tasks such as land cultivation, canal digging, and road construction. Their use was essential to minimize the loss of immigrant lives during dangerous projects.
The total population of East Africa, including immigrants and indigenous people, had reached around one million. With this population, the colony had developed a total of 3.49 million mu (Chinese measurement unit for land) of land that year.
This land included 730,000 mu of rice fields primarily in the coastal plains and Great Lakes region of East Africa, with expansion ongoing north and southward.
An estimated 140 million kilograms of rice could be harvested, which would yield over 84 million kilograms of rice when processed.
East Africa had also cultivated 1.51 million mu of wheat, making it the largest food crop. Wheat was grown mainly on the inland plateau and the northern end of developed land in Kenya. Wheat yields were lower than rice, at approximately 160 kilograms per mu.
The expected wheat output was around 240 million kilograms, with a high flour extraction rate of about 70%, yielding approximately 168 million kilograms of flour.
Additionally, East Africa had allocated 200,000 to 300,000 mu for other food crops such as potatoes, millet, and corn.
Commercial crops occupied one million mu and included sisal, oil crops, cotton, coffee, rubber, and more.
These statistics were conservative, as the developed land in East Africa was of high quality with ample water sources and fertile soil. With the use of manure, processed uniformly in East Africa, and some imported fertilizer, yields per mu were significantly higher.
Despite the vast amount of land developed, fewer than 400,000 immigrants had been directly involved in its development. The remainder had yet to participate in new land development.
The indigenous population played a crucial role in these endeavors, effectively serving as laborers and draft animals for farming.
The influx of immigrants had also led to urban population growth. Larger cities housed populations of 20,000 to 30,000, while smaller cities had populations of 2,000 to 3,000.
The largest immigrant city in East Africa was the First Town, with a population of approximately 30,000. Dar es Salaam followed closely with over 27,000 immigrants, with an even larger population when counting foreigners and indigenous slaves.
Mwanza, an inland city, ranked third in immigrant population with more than 23,000 residents.
Mbeya was the fourth-largest city with over 21,000 residents and primarily focused on coal and iron ore mining.
Mombasa, though a late acquisition, had developed rapidly and had around 20,000 residents.
Tanga had more than 18,000 residents, serving as a hub for sisal processing and trade.
Bagamoyo, with over 13,500 residents, had great potential as a port city in the future.
Other cities like Dodoma, Mtwara, and Pemba Island had populations exceeding 10,000 and promising development prospects.
Nairobi, despite its status as the largest city in East Africa in Ernst's previous life, currently had a population in the early 2000s. Its development had been hindered by its inland location and competition with Kenyan coffee gardens, which required a significant labor force.
However, Ernst believed Nairobi had a promising future, especially as a transportation hub with the potential to connect to Uganda once East Africa expanded its influence in the region.