African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 725 - 29: What Was Seen on the Railway
"The first major city to the west along the railway is Mbeya, but before that, we will pass through cities like Dodoma. Dodoma is a railway hub, but its developed area is relatively small and doesn't rank among the top ten even in East Africa. However, its geographical location is extremely important and possesses strategic value. Unfortunately, given the vast expanse of East African territory, many places could replace Dodoma's role. Once railways further expand in the future, its status might face further challenges.
If East Africa were the former Tanzania, Dodoma City's status would be almost at the core of the country. But East Africa is not like that; Mbeya has instead become a relatively important hub city, along with the emerging New Frankfurt City.
This is similar to the former Far East Empire, where in the early days, Zhengzhou, located on the plains, became an important railway hub. However, as railway technology advanced and construction became widespread, numerous railway hubs emerged in the surrounding areas, such as Wuhan, Shannxi, Hefei, Jinan, among others, inevitably leading to a decline in its transportation status.
This decline is relative, much like the United States to the Far East Empire. Without the Far East Empire as a backdrop, the U.S.'s status and various aspects in the world would remain unchanged, and it still grows annually.
Dodoma City also faces this situation. In reality, Dodoma City's development is quite good, but compared to surrounding regional cities, it falls short by a lot.
On one hand, although Dodoma is located on a plateau, its territory is filled with hilly terrain, limiting urban development. Additionally, the area's water resources are relatively scarce, unsuitable for industrial development, with annual rainfall only hovering around 500 millimeters.
It's precisely Dodoma's position that makes it an important transition passage from the East African coastal plains to the highlands, so it hasn't fallen too far behind.
Mary: "The environment of Dodoma City is somewhat similar to southern Austria."
She and Wells first traveled by train to East Africa, just passing through southern Austria, with the final departure from Trieste. The Mediterranean climate region was in winter, mild and rainy, while Dodoma City's rainy season concentrates between December and March of the following year, so they seem quite similar.
The rainy season is the time period with concentrated precipitation, not raining every day, especially in a relatively dry place like Dodoma City in East Africa. The only difference might be in vegetation.
However, it's not prominent along the railway because East Africa has planted many types of vegetation along the railway lines, including some selected elite tree species from around the world.
Beyond the two railway lines lies vast grasslands, with occasional farmland and villages, showcasing the current rural norm of East Africa. Even the relatively 'densely' populated eastern region has vast undeveloped land.
The state of East African railways should be similar to Tsarist Russia, with long distances, but density cannot compare to Europe. Of course, East Africa has a significant advantage in railway construction compared to Tsarist Russia, especially in these plateau areas, where the lack of tall trees makes development very convenient. This journey will pass through Mbeya and the Hohenzollern Province, where there are vast forests, leading further north to the Congo rainforest, and further south, the grassland scene resumes. The climate in Bulawayo City should be similar to Dodoma, but with rich mineral resources and flat terrain; it was also once the capital of the Debelle people, conditions far surpassing those of Dodoma City."
Edllis is also part of the entourage, thus informing the Wells couple about the situation in East Africa's interior.
As someone who frequently travels across most regions of East Africa by train on the Central Railway, he is extremely knowledgeable about the local customs and practices, a rare individual with broad horizons in East Africa.
"When you enter the borders of the Matebel Province, you'll see the large bridge over the Zambezi River, which is quite spectacular, entirely constructed of steel. It's a major engineering feat even in Europe, one of the major projects in East African transportation construction."
East Africa doesn't have many notable large rivers, or rather, many rivers are shared with other countries. The Nile River, Congo River, Orange River, Limpopo River, and Zambezi River are all such rivers.
What they have in common is that their upper reaches are under East African control, with the Orange River being an exception; however, the main tributary, the Fall River's upper reaches, are controlled by East Africa.
The Zambezi River and the Congo River clearly hold greater significance for East Africa. The lower reaches of these two rivers are under Portuguese control; if East Africa were to capture these areas, it would sole possession of two world-class rivers.
Just as in the past, even a small river like the Rhine (Ruvu) could gain some renown in East Africa, albeit laughably so. Frankly, comparing the Zambezi River to the Rhine River is a stretch, let alone the minor Ruvu River, which is only a hundred kilometers long.
Compared to the water transport benefits of other continental rivers, East African rivers' hydropower resources fall short. Nonetheless, it's a better state than having none; something is better than nothing.
"The Zambezi River should be the largest river in East Africa, right? In the past, our textbooks had descriptions of the Zambia River, stretching from the heart of East Africa into the Portuguese colonial territories, eventually flowing into the Indian Ocean," Wells recalled.
"The old East African geography textbooks have long been outdated, mere simple descriptions fraught with errors. For instance, the northern bank of the lower reaches are under our control, a result of the last East-Portuguese War. However, you were probably studying in Africa, so you might not have known this," Edllis explained to Wells.
He continued, "Besides, it won't be long before the flow of the Zambezi River might entirely become our internal river in East Africa."
Wells was surprised, saying, "Is East Africa preparing for war?"
"Haha, actually there's nothing to be surprised about; for years, our army, particularly in the south, has not been disbanded. You might have noticed several military trains passing by our train these past two days, all signs of impending war. Of course, that's my own speculation. Whether it truly comes to war will depend on the thoughts of the Central Government."
Edllis certainly didn't dare to make an absolute statement, but East Africa indeed shows signs of wartime preparation. Coupled with East Africa's previous actions, Edllis feels that's very likely the case.
This territory of over ten million square kilometers in East Africa wasn't given by others. From beginning to end, East Africa has been a highly aggressive nation, even in its most stable years, extending its influence across oceans to the Pacific region.
Now, whoever looks at East Africa's map would think of eliminating the two Portuguese colonies, as they are too discordant. For Ernst, who has a compulsive disorder, enduring until now has already been exceptionally difficult.
Of course, the economic and strategic value of these two colonies is Ernst's primary motivation. In Ernst's strategy, securing the coastlines of Mozambique and Angola is essential. Only then could East Africa truly become a two-ocean nation like the United States.
As for the coastline of southwestern Africa, it's not even as valuable as the Somali region; it's inadequate and cannot undertake East Africa's economic advancement and strategic deterrence responsibilities in the South Atlantic.
The conditions of the eastern coastline are actually quite good, but if we can take Mozambique, it would greatly aid the foreign economy of the central and southern regions since exporting goods via the Central Railway involves a roundabout route. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Moreover, it poses a significant threat to New Hamburg Port City. In East Africa's railway planning, a railway along the Indian Ocean coast has long been part of the plan. The narrow coastal plain stretching from Somalia to South Africa on the African east coast is the future main artery linking East Africa's economy.
