Chapter 870 Preliminary Work
Ernst stayed in New Frankfurt for three days, and the reason for this was to focus on inspecting the surrounding environment.
To locate the capital inland, first of all, this city must be the same as the first town and city, and cannot develop heavy pollution industries. Therefore, all heavy industrial cities and resource-based cities in the central part are basically not included in Ernst’s selection. within.
Secondly, the transportation must be developed and be able to quickly reach all parts of the country. Many cities in the central part of the country meet the standards, such as New Frankfurt, Lusaka, Kabwe, and the southern copper belt to benefit from the central railway. It is an area with convenient transportation.
Then there is the environment, which is a secondary issue. Most of the plateau areas in East Africa are relatively livable, and the landscapes are similar.
It seems that New Frankfurt meets all the above needs and is very suitable as a capital. Of course, according to Ernst's style, there is a high probability that New Frankfurt will not choose to establish the capital on the original site of New Frankfurt, because the rise of New Frankfurt relies on The conditions of the railway itself may not be the best in the region.
As for other cities, like Kabwe, it is the largest mineral development area in Zambia, especially rich in lead, zinc ore and heavy metal mineral resources, while cities such as Lusaka mostly rely on copper mines and other minerals to rise, so Neither was Ernst's choice.
However, these troublesome matters must not be troubled by Ernst alone. The location of the capital is a complex and important issue, so the positioning of the new capital must undergo constant inspection and screening.
After completing the trip, Ernst immediately decided to return to the first town, and then appointed professionals to conduct inspections around New Frankfurt.
Leave professional matters to professionals. The East African Geological Bureau, Meteorological Bureau, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Transport and experts from various fields, especially experts in the field of urban planning and design, gathered in the first town and city to accept Ernst’s arrangement task.
“First of all, the first point is transportation accessibility. Both Hohenzollern Province (western Zambia) and Matabele Province (Zimbabwe) are located in the future economic center of East Africa (currently Mbeya City), and Hohenzollern Province (currently Mbeya City) London Province is obviously better than Matabele Province in terms of transportation, mainly because of its advantages in connection with the eastern transportation. Of course, considering the future transportation development in East Africa, Matabele Province will not be inferior, but Matabele Province This is the upper limit of transportation. Compared with Hohenzollern Province, Matabele Province is located in the south. According to this situation, we can also choose Swabia Province (southern Congo), so we can compromise between the two. It seems that the Hohenzollern Province has a high minimum land transportation location in the country.”
The capital of a country must first consider transportation issues to facilitate the efficiency of the transmission of government orders, and at the same time facilitate the East African central government’s management of various regions. supervision and inspection, and also facilitate the arrangement of national military deployment around the capital.
For example, the current jurisdiction of the Guards Division is in the Central Province, but the Central Province is on the eastern coast of East Africa. If there is a rebellion in the interior or in several other directions, it will be inconvenient for the army to dispatch to quell the rebellion.
“Secondly, it is comfort. The average annual precipitation in the capital should be no less than 800 mm and no more than 1,500 mm, and the temperature should be between 15 and 25 degrees. It cannot be too low or too high. Many areas in the Hohenzollern Province meet this standard.”
“We must also consider the issue of water sources. It is best to have lakes and rivers as water sources, but not too many, like Many swamps in the western part of the Hohenzollern province are not suitable.”
"Terrain is also key. To ensure smooth drainage in the rainy season and avoid lack of water sources in the dry season, it is best to have certain military functions."
After all, the climate in most regions of East Africa is seasonal, just like the eastern part of the Far Eastern Empire The same, so it is not too easy to find a place with year-round droughts and floods to ensure harvests, but it is not uncommon. For example, in the current East African capitals and coastal cities, after the surrounding rivers are improved, there will basically be no big problems.
As for the so-called military function, Ernst just mentioned in passing that there are almost no places in East Africa with dangerous terrain and favorable natural conditions, because as a country dominated by plateaus, most areas in East Africa are only high in altitude. The terrain is very gentle. Except for the coastal plain, the difference between most of the inland mountains and plateaus is not obvious. For example, the Muchinga Mountains in the Hohenzollern Province are almost integrated with the plateau on the northwest slope, while the southeast slope The reason for its steepness is that the Luangwa River has eroded down and formed a large valley.
“In terms of geology, we should also choose stable areas and avoid volcanic and earthquake zones.” Ernst’s request is not without purpose. The African continental plate is actually relatively safe among all the plates in the world.
However, the volcanic and seismic zones are basically concentrated in the East African Rift Zone in East Africa. Although I have never heard of any major earthquakes in Africa except Morocco in my previous life, it is better to avoid them, especially there have been many small-magnitude earthquakes around Nairobi in my previous life.
As for the issue of volcanoes, it can be completely ignored. Most of the volcanoes in East Africa are extinct volcanoes, and the most famous active volcano is probably the Nyamula Gira volcano in Africa. It is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is the world's largest active volcano. One of the largest active volcanoes, but Ernst would certainly not choose to set up his new capital within the Congo region.
The Hohenzollern Province is generally far away from the volcanic and seismic zones, that is, the East African Rift Valley Zone, and its overall safety is relatively reliable.
The biggest natural disasters in the area are floods and droughts, so this is also the main reason to choose areas with rich water resources and good terrain, which can effectively avoid natural disasters.
“Finally, what needs to be considered is economic factors, including the industrial and agricultural foundation. Agricultural conditions must be favorable and can support the central area, followed by industry. This must be combined with the political, cultural, educational, and scientific and technological center of the capital. Functional arrangements should ideally be able to form collaborative relationships with cities in the region.”
If you want to consider industrial development, then Ernst doesn't have to choose. You can directly target the city of New Frankfurt. However, in Ernst's view, the capital should not interfere too much in regional industrial deployment.
Just like the first town and city, most of the production functions are basically handed over to Dar es Salaam, so that the economic data of the first town and city are not high in the country.
After all, Dar es Salaam is only more than fifty kilometers away from the first town, and there is Bagamoyo nearby, so basically there is no shortage of anything.
“On this trip to central China, I focused on inspecting New Frankfurt City. The development of New Frankfurt City tends to be good and it is also the central transportation hub of the country. Therefore, it is best for the capital to be close to New Frankfurt City, so that New Frankfurt City The traffic problems in the capital’s location will be protected.”
This is one. It’s a question of taking advantage of the situation. For example, the first town is not the most developed place in Central Province, far behind Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo and Morogoro, but no one would say that the first town The city's transportation conditions are poor, because the first town has railways, canals and highways, so traveling across the country only requires a few nearby cities, and there is no problem at all.
"Of course, relocating the capital is a complicated process. In this century, I have no plans yet, so I have plenty of time left for you. Work slowly and carefully, and be sure to choose the best location for the future capital."
That said, there are actually only seven years until the end of this century, but it is enough to inspect the new capital and prepare for some preliminary work.
Of course, there is another important reason for not moving the capital now, that is, the economic situation in the central region cannot be compared with that in the east for the time being. If the capital is moved at this time, if the existing cities are not chosen, I am afraid that East African officials will have no choice but to Working outdoors.
(End of this chapter)