East Africa (800,000 square miles) includes the territory of
Uganda, north of Lake Victoria, a territory which from the character
of its native population and its possibilities of trade has been
called the "pearl of Africa." British West Africa (500,000 square
miles) includes the basin of the lower Niger, the most densely peopled
area in all Africa, the seat of the great Fula-Hausa empire of
Sokoto-Gandu, the wealthiest and greatest trading nation in the
continent. Furthermore, in the northeast, Great Britain exercises
"protectorate control" over Egypt--a control that is likely to be
instrumental in reclaiming for Egypt, and thus for civilisation and
commerce under British authority, the whole of Egypt's ancient
possessions along the Nile as far at least as Uganda. The total area
of the British possessions in Africa, exclusive of the two Boer
republics and Egypt, is over 2,300,000 square miles.
THE "DOMINION OF SOUTH AFRICA"
"South Africa" is practically "British South Africa." The German
portion is either largely barren or else inaccessible. The Portuguese
portion is only a narrow strip along the east coast, much of which is
too unhealthy for habitation other than by natives. The two Boer
republics are rapidly filling up with British people, are being
developed by British capital, and must in time become confederated
with the states that environ them. One of them, too, is already under
British suzerainty. British South Africa, however, is as yet only a
name. It has no real existence except in hope. The aspiration of
statesmen in southern Africa is that all the territories of southern
Africa under British control shall form one confederation, and that in
this confederation the Orange Free State and the South African
Republic shall join. The territories entering into this confederation
would therefore be as follows: The self-governing colonies of Cape
Colony and Natal, the crown colony of Basutoland, the protectorates of
Bechuanaland and Zululand, the territory now administered by the
British South Africa Company, popularly known as "Rhodesia," and the
British Central Africa protectorate, with in addition the two Boer
republics previously mentioned. The length of this proposed South
African dominion would be 1800 miles. Its width would be from 600
to 800 miles. And, as said above, its area would be about 1,000,000
square miles. Mr. Stanley predicts that in a hundred years the
"Dominion of South Africa" will have a wh
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