Chapter 45
Chapter 45: Ron Rhoda
Ron Roda, situated in the East African colony, is approximately 60 kilometers south of the Portuguese colony of Mozambique and 30 kilometers east of the Sultanate of Zanzibar's sphere of influence. It was surveyed for habitation on September 13, 1866, and received its first batch of immigrants on October 7th, with a population of over 600.
Ron Roda serves as the capital of the Lower Coastal Area, a part of Ernst's ambitious plan. The entire Lower Coastal Area encompasses nearly 80,000 square kilometers. Presently, the population in Ron Roda, including a small number of Germans, totals just over 600.
The East African colony, even with indigenous populations, remains sparsely populated due to its vast size. The development of this colony is still in its early stages.
Ron Roda, despite being the capital of the Lower Coastal Area, is currently no larger than a village in the Upper Coastal Area. The East Malawi Lake District is even less developed, with the exploration phase just completed and immigrants on their way.
The Central Coastal Area has made relatively better progress, boasting a population of over 1,000 immigrants due to its proximity to the Upper Coastal Area. The administrative organization is managed by Thomas, a German and former member of the East African Colonial Mercenary Corps, with Li Wenhua, a graduate of the Hechingen Military Academy, serving as his deputy. The entire East African colony operates under military-style governance, as the majority of colonial officials are of military origin.
Collective management, unlike the freedom enjoyed by citizens in other countries, has been implemented to maintain order and productivity among the immigrants, who largely follow orders without resistance. The colonial officials, mostly military-trained, are adept at issuing and enforcing orders.
Li Wenhua, like other graduates of the Hechingen Military Academy, has a deep sense of loyalty to Ernst. This loyalty stems from the belief that Ernst rescued them from adversity, and they are determined to repay him through hard work.
Li Wenhua was selected as the second-in-command for the Lower Coastal Area and, along with other military graduates from the Hechingen Military Academy, plays a crucial role in conveying colonial policies to the immigrants, educating them, managing military affairs, and other essential tasks. Given that official documents in the colonies must be in German, the students also serve as translators to communicate policies to the immigrants.
To aid in Germanization efforts, immigrants receive basic German education, starting with the learning of 800 important German vocabulary words. Complete German education will begin with the next generation, and compulsory education will be introduced at that time.
Ernst is currently training a group of future colonial teachers who will be responsible for education in the colonies. These students, mainly German orphans, study alongside Chinese students at the Hechingen Military Academy and will establish schools in the East African colonies upon completion.
Ron Roda benefits from its advantageous location and proximity to three indigenous tribes. Security forces, including 200 armed personnel, were sent to Ron Roda to clean up these tribes. After successfully subduing these tribes, the security forces joined the immigrants in securing Ron Roda.
As Ron Roda is situated in a coastal plain, it primarily cultivates rice and tobacco. Tobacco cultivation is particularly significant as it supplies raw materials for the Hechingen Tobacco Company. East Africa's climate and land are conducive to tobacco growth, and if successful, this cultivation will expand throughout the Lower Coastal Area.
In other parts of the colony, sisal remains a primary crop due to its strong market demand. While experimenting with other crops like coffee and rubber, the colony focuses on controlled cultivation to ensure a stable market before significant expansion.
(End of Chapter 45)