| |||||
Anthem | "God Save the King Mungu ibariki Afrika (state anthem)" | ||||
Capital | Nairobi | ||||
Largest city | Nairobi | ||||
Other cities | Mombasa, Entebbe, Kampala, Arusha and Dar es Salaam | ||||
Language official |
English (official) and Swahili (lingua franca) | ||||
others | Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic and several African languages | ||||
Religion main |
Islam, Various Christian and African Indigenous Churches | ||||
others | Hinduism and traditional African religions | ||||
Ethnic Groups main |
various Bantu sub-groups and Nilotic. | ||||
others | Indians, Europeans and Arabic. | ||||
Government | Constitutional monarchy (Dominion) | ||||
Monarch | |||||
Governor-General | |||||
First Minister | |||||
Area | 1.813.139 km² | ||||
Currency | East African shilling | ||||
Organizations | Imperial Commonwealth Federation (Colony) |
British East Africa (BEA) is a colony of the Imperial Commonwealth Federation (former British Empire) in East Africa. It consists of the former British possessions of Tanganyika Territory, Colony and Protectorate of Kenya and Protectorate of Uganda. In the 1930s South Sudan was incorporated into BEA.
History[]
British East Africa (BEA) was established as part of the Africanisation policy of the 1920s in the territories of Tanganyika, Kenya and Uganda. The last stage will grant full Dominion status to BEA.
Government[]
The British East Africa Act established the following state institutions:
- Governor-General, representative of the Crown, designated by the UK government.
- Executive, integrated by a First Minister and Executive Council.
- an elected unicameral Legislative Council, with reserved representation for Europeans, Africans and Asians
- and a Supreme Justice Court.
Territorial division of BEA[]
The regions that form part of BEA are:
- Tanganyika (Dar es Salaam)
- Kenya (Nairobi)
- Uganda (Entebbe)
- South Sudan (Juba)
Each has a Lieutenant Governor, Regional Executive Council and an elected Regional Legislative Council.
The Sultanate of Zanzibar, administered by a British Resident by means of Protectorate Council, has a postal, economic and currency union with BEA.
Economy[]
Coffee and tea mainly grown in Kenya and Tanganyika territories, are the main and world renowned exports of BEA. Other crops of importance are cotton, cashews, sisal, cloves, and pyrethrum. Recently it is encourage the establishment of farming co-operatives along African and European farmers, after the abolition of hut tax. There is a policy of settlement of interior lands for industrial agriculture by foreign and internal migration.
The East African shilling, supplied and oversaw the East African Currency Board, besides being the currency of British East Africa it is also used in Zanzibar and British Somaliland.
Education and culture[]
Since the 1920s and previously in former German territories, Swahili is the official medium in primary and adult education, whereas English is the language of secondary education, universities, technology and higher courts. Primary education is compulsory for all children under 15 years.