Chapter 870 Preliminary Work
Ernst stayed in New Frankfurt for three days, and the reason for this was to focus on the surrounding environment.
To set the capital inland, first of all, this city must be like the first town, and heavy polluting industries cannot be developed, so all heavy industrial cities and resource-based cities in the central region are basically not within Ernst's selection range.
Secondly, the transportation must be developed and can quickly reach all parts of the country. Many cities in the central region meet this standard, such as New Frankfurt, Lusaka, Kabwe, and the southern copper belt benefiting from the central railway are all areas with convenient transportation.
Then there is the environment, which is a secondary issue. Most of the plateau areas in East Africa are more livable and the landscape is similar.
It seems that New Frankfurt meets all the above requirements and is a very suitable place to be the capital. Of course, according to Ernst's style, it is highly likely that he will not choose to build the capital on the original site of New Frankfurt, because the rise of New Frankfurt relies on railways, and its own conditions may not be the best in the region.
Other cities, such as Kabwe, are the largest mineral development area in Zambia, especially rich in lead, zinc and heavy metal mineral resources, while most cities such as Lusaka rely on copper and other minerals to rise, so they are not among Ernst's choices.
However, these troubles cannot be a headache for Ernst alone. The location of the capital is a complex and important issue, so the positioning of the new capital must be constantly inspected and screened.
After the trip, Ernst immediately decided to return to the first town and then sent professionals to the surrounding areas of New Frankfurt for inspection.
Professional matters are handed over to professionals. The East African Geological Bureau, the Meteorological Bureau, the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Transport and experts in various fields, especially experts in urban planning and design, gathered in the first town to accept the tasks arranged by Ernst.
"First of all, the first point is the accessibility of transportation. Hohenzollern Province (western Zambia) and Matabele Province (Zimbabwe) are both located in the future economic center of East Africa (currently Mbeya City), and Hohenzollern Province is obviously better than Matabele Province in terms of transportation, mainly because it has advantages in connecting with the eastern transportation. Of course, considering the future development of East African transportation, Matabele Province will not be bad, but the upper limit of Matabele Province's transportation is just like this. Compared with Hohenzollern Province, Matabele Province is located in the south. According to this situation, we can also choose Swabia Province (southern Congo), so the lower limit of Hohenzollern Province's national land transportation location is very high."
The capital of a country must first consider transportation issues, which is convenient for the efficiency of conveying government orders, and at the same time, it is convenient for the East African central government to supervise and inspect various regions, and it is also convenient to arrange national military deployment around the capital.
For example, the current Guard Division is under the jurisdiction of the Central Province, while the Central Province is on the eastern coast of East Africa. If a rebellion occurs in the inland or other directions, it is not convenient for the army to send out 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. The temperature should be between 15 and 25 degrees, not too low or too high. Many areas in the Hohenzollern Province meet this standard."
"We also need to consider the water source. It is best to have lakes and rivers as water sources, but not too many, like the many swamps in the western part of the Hohenzollern Province."
"The terrain is also key. It is necessary to ensure smooth drainage in the rainy season and not lack of water in the dry season. It is best to have certain military functions."
After all, the climate in most areas of East Africa is seasonal, just like the eastern part of the Far East Empire, so it is not too easy to find a place that can guarantee harvests all year round, but it is not uncommon. For example, the current capital and coastal cities of East Africa will basically not have too many problems after improving the surrounding rivers.
As for the so-called military function, Ernst just mentioned that there are almost no places in East Africa with rugged terrain and favorable natural conditions. Because East Africa is a country dominated by plateaus, most areas are only high in altitude and the terrain is very flat. Except for the coastal plains, the difference between most inland mountains and plateaus is not prominent. For example, the Muchinga Mountains in the Hohenzollern Province are almost integrated with the plateau on the northwest slope, and the reason why the southeast slope is steep is that the Luangwa River erodes and cuts down to form a large river valley.
"In terms of geology, we must also choose stable areas and avoid volcanic and seismic belts."
Ernst's requirement is not aimless. The African continental plate is actually relatively safe among all the plates in the world.
However, the volcanic seismic belt is basically concentrated in the East African Rift Valley 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 in the past life, there have been many small-scale earthquakes around Nairobi.
As for the issue of volcanoes, it can actually be completely ignored. Most of the volcanoes in East Africa are extinct volcanoes, and the most famous active volcano is probably the Nyamulagira volcano in Africa, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is also one of the largest active volcanoes in the world, but Ernst would definitely not choose to set up a new capital in the Congo region.
The Hohenzollern Province is generally far away from the volcanic earthquake zone, that is, the East African Great Rift Valley, and the overall safety is relatively reliable.
The biggest natural disasters in the area are floods and droughts, so this is also the main reason for choosing an area with abundant 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 functions of the capital. It is best 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, the city of Dar es Salaam is only more than fifty kilometers away from the first town, and there is also the city of Bagamoyo nearby, so basically there is no shortage of anything.
"On this trip to central China, I focused on inspecting New Frankfurt. The development of New Frankfurt 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, so that the traffic problems in the new capital will be eliminated. can be guaranteed.”
This is 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 will say that the first town is not the most developed place in Central Province. The transportation conditions in the first town are poor, because the first town has railways, canals and highways. 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."
Having said that, there are actually only seven years until the end of this century, but it is enough to inspect the new capital and prepare part of the preliminary work.
Of course, there is another important reason for not moving the capital now, that is, the economic situation in the central region is not yet comparable to that in the east. If we move the capital at this time, if we do not choose an existing city, I am afraid that East African officials will have to work in the open air.