African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 876 - 180: Three Vertical and Three Horizontal Axes

The Hawaiian coup was just a minor episode for East Africa, as it has been investing heavily in the construction of the southern and western regions since the South African War ended a few years ago.

After the end of the South African War, the annual railway construction mileage in East Africa increased from about 1,500 kilometers to 3,000 kilometers, nearly doubling.

This figure is still rising, with multiple railways in the planning and design stages. Besides the main lines in the south and west, central and eastern regions are also accelerating the proliferation and promotion of the railway network.

"According to the Ministry of Railways' preliminary plans, we aim to complete the construction of three longitudinal railways by 1900. The Central Railway has already been completed. In recent years, our country will build two other major north to south railway corridors of significant importance, second only to the Central Railway. One is the Eastern Coastal Railway, starting in Mogadishu, passing through Kismayo, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Bela, and Maputo, and finally reaching New Hamburg Port City in the south. The other is the Western Coastal Railway, starting from Cabinda and ending at Alexandria Port."

This Alexandria Port is a naturally good harbor located in the southwest of Angola, not the Alexandria Port of Egypt.

Alexandria Port is situated in a desert area but benefits from a natural bay, offering excellent port construction conditions. To the north is Muzamidish Port, with similar conditions. If not for the desert, its conditions would be no worse, and perhaps much better, than Luanda and Benguela.

Further south, the East African Ministry of Railways has no plans for railway construction, as this section involves many desert areas. Beyond this is an uninhabited region for over 800 kilometers stretching to Whale Bay Port, with no need to build a railway.

The Eastern Coastal Railway is another crucial national strategic railway project, following the Central and Northern Railways. The eastern coast of East Africa is expected to be the region's economic powerhouse, making it a priority railway project to conquer. Once constructed, it will span over 4,000 kilometers, covering major port cities in eastern East Africa.

"We call this the Three Lorentz, the three main north-south arteries of our country's transportation over the next decade. In addition to the longitudinal railways, we will also build three east-west railways, including the Northern and Central Railways. In the south, we will construct the Southern Railway, starting from Whale Bay Port, skirting the edge of the Okavango Delta, and ending at Inhambane Port via Bulawayo. We refer to these three railways as the three latitudes."

"This will essentially establish our country's railway structure of three longitudinal and three latitude lines, completing the primary national railway network in East Africa, connecting all regions, including the Southwest Africa and Somali areas."

The emphasis on Southwest Africa and Somalia is because these are two major desert areas in East Africa. It will also end the history of no railways in East African desert regions. Although the environment in both is challenging, one is located in the northeast and the other in the southwest of East Africa, their significance in national defense is critical.

"On the foundation of the three longitudinal and three latitude lines, new branch railway lines will be constructed, particularly in the central, eastern, and Mozambique regions. By 1900, our country's railway network should reach at least 100,000 kilometers."

This requires the East African railway to quadruple in the coming years, which is entirely feasible given the current economic trends in East Africa.

Apart from the basic structure of the three longitudinal and three latitude railways, the East African railway focuses particularly on the Mozambique region to connect the central, eastern, and Mozambique economic areas.

The previous economic and population structure in East Africa was "dumbbell-shaped," with the two major economic zones in the east and the central connected by the Central Railway, divided by Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika, and the Mitumba Mountains. Once Mozambique is developed, East Africa's major economies will connect as one.

This will form a large economic core area, effectively radiating nationwide and enhancing East Africa's economic competitiveness.

Of course, according to Ernst's vision, this "Central Economic Bloc" will inevitably include northern Angola in the future to further stimulate its development role.

Take the United States, for example; its economic core is in the northeast around the Great Lakes and coastal areas, not entirely central. However, the northern part is Canada, posing no threat to the U.S. and facilitating the use of Canada's economy and resources.

There are no strong economic entities around East Africa, with resources concentrated in the central and southern regions, while maritime advantages are focused on the east and west coasts, which is very different from the U.S.

Currently, there is a significant difference between the east and west coasts of the United States. The west has poor climate conditions, and the Rocky Mountains are a barrier. In contrast, the East African Plateau extends from the center to the east and west coasts without significant topographical barriers, except for a few lakes in the east. The climate conditions are relatively consistent and favorable, with good agricultural conditions, conducive to population concentration and industrial aggregation.

Of course, East Africa's capacity is currently limited, so the priority is to develop the central and eastern economies. It is worth noting that Mozambique belongs to the eastern part of the East African landscape and is directly east of the Matebel Plateau, just south of the East African Plateau. This further enhances the development potential of East Africa's eastern region.

The west is somewhat restricted by natural conditions, primarily in territorial domain, as the northwest region of East Africa does not extend to the African west coast, stopping near the Azande Plateau, resulting in a missing piece of the northwest corner.

However, this missing piece is primarily tropical rainforest, with limited potential, as observed in Africa's historical population distribution.

The southwest region has tropical desert climate distribution, so the only area in the west feasible for extensive development is Angola. However, Angola is not small, making the difference between East Africa's east and west coasts smaller than that of the U.S.

Once Mozambique is initially developed, East Africa is bound to continue expanding westward. Thus, aside from the north and south, the future economic focus of East Africa becomes clear.

Yet, New Hamburg Port and Maputo are also part of East Africa's southern region, while northern Somalia is a key development area, so the overall future East African economy will still lean toward balance.

Although not as balanced as countries like Germany and other European nations, it will be more balanced compared to other large nations with similar territories, such as the Far East Empire, Tsarist Russia, and the United States.

Once the three longitudinal and three latitude railway networks are established, it will further narrow the economic disparities among regions within East Africa, as the conditions in Angola and Mozambique's new territories are not inferior to East Africa's original central and eastern areas. After completing infrastructure construction and relocating populations and industries, the gap can quickly be bridged.

Of course, the Ministry of Railways' plans further inspire Ernst to consider establishing the capital inland in East Africa, as an inland capital is naturally safer.

It can also use administrative and other resources to accelerate the central development of East Africa. Compared to coastal areas, the central region currently benefits from resource-driven heavy industry development. However, once a globalized market emerges like in the 21st century, mining could mainly come from lower-cost areas, creating economic disparities between coastal and inland regions.

Though Ernst may not witness that era, he must still plan for the future. Moreover, placing the capital at the nation's center is more conducive to maintaining the Heixinggen Royal Family's rule. The Far East Empire, in the era of sea power, had its capital too close to the sea and lacked a powerful navy, making it vulnerable to external threats several times.

East Africa's First Town City undoubtedly faces this issue as well. However, this is just a possibility, as there are currently no countries daring to attack East Africa's homeland. This is due to East Africa's current military strength. If national power declines to the level of the Far East Empire, this problem may arise.

At this point, the location of the capital becomes vital. If the capital is inland, even when facing aggressors like England and France, a resolute monarch would not easily compromise with the invaders. Deep inland, the enemy would not easily advance, unable to threaten the ruling group's survival.