Report upon the Status of the African Colonies and Arabian Territories
Including the Protectorate of Tunisia
Commissioned: 12th January 1886
by the Junior Minister for Colonial Affairs
Presented to Congress: 24th June 1886
by the Colonial Ministry Oversight Committee
Chairman: Hans-Peter Martin
Full details of other contributors can be found on file in the Committee’s Archives
1. Overview
1.1. Population
1.1.1. Total Population: 27.59 Million (approx)
1.1.2. Total Workforce: 6.89 Million (approx)
1.1.3. Registered European Households: 5078 (<0.1%)
1.1.4. Of which:
1.1.4.1. Czech: 87
1.1.4.2. Danubian: 108
1.1.4.3. French: 18
1.1.4.4. Hungarian: 47
1.1.4.5. North German: 10
1.1.4.6. North Italian: 2178
1.1.4.7. Romanian: 2
1.1.4.8. Slovene: 16
1.1.4.9. South German: 16
1.1.4.10. South Italian: 2577
1.1.4.11. Ukrainian: 19
1.1.5. Religion
1.1.5.1. Animist: 38.9%
1.1.5.2. Sunni: 35.2%
1.1.5.3. Catholic: 24.2%
1.1.5.4. Shiite: 1.7%
1.1.6. Occupations:
1.1.6.1. Farmers: 82.9%
1.1.6.2. Labourers: 5.9%
1.1.6.3. Artisans: 4.1%
1.1.6.4. Soldiers: 2.4%
1.1.6.5. Aristocrats: 1.8%
1.1.6.6. Bureaucrats: 1.4%
1.1.6.7. Clergymen: 1.2%
1.1.6.8. Officers: 0.2%
1.1.6.9. Other occupations insignificant
1.1.7. Literacy: 11.6%
1.1.8. Average Militancy: very high
1.1.8.1. Significant links to communist, anarcho-liberal and nationalist rebel organisations believed to exist
1.2. Production
1.2.1. No industrial facilities
1.2.2. Production tonnage (products with production greater than100 tonnes)
1.2.2.1. Grain: 937.7
1.2.2.2. Timber: 355.6
1.2.2.3. Wool: 324.0
1.2.2.4. Fruit: 328.5
1.2.2.5. Cattle: 255.5
1.2.2.6. Cotton: 169.0
1.2.2.7. Fish: 131.6
1.2.3. Exports:
1.2.3.1. Grain: 696.8
1.2.3.2. Timber: 347.0
1.2.3.3. Fruit: 269.6
1.2.4. Imports
1.2.4.1. Tea: 67.24
1.2.4.2. Furniture: 42.55
1.2.4.3. Regular Clothes: 42.18
1.3. Military
1.3.1. 44 regiments able to be supported by colonial populations
1.3.2. No forces expected to be raised under a general mobilisation
1.3.3. 43 key ports for construction of naval forces
2. Algeria
2.1. Population
2.1.1. Number of households: 31 Thousand
2.1.2. Of which European: 218
2.1.3. Of which:
2.1.3.1. North Italian: 68
2.1.3.2. Romanian: 2
2.1.3.3. South Italian: 148
2.2. Government
2.2.1. Governor-General: Mehdi Hannachi, of Tunis, Tunisia
2.2.2. Capital: Bechar
2.2.3. Colony established under the Tunisian constitutional model; however, the population was judged too sparse for efficient representation so the vast majority of powers are delegated to local tribal councils. Powers over the colony at large remain vested in the Governor-General.
2.2.4. Many government tasks are performed under contract by Tunisian state agencies in Tunis and the colony has an administrative centre in Tunis, since low levels of development and environmental challenges due to the Sahara desert pose difficulties for government operation.
3. Angola
3.1. Population
3.1.1. Number of households: 566 Thousand
3.1.2. Of which European: 525
3.1.3. Of which:
3.1.3.1. Danubian: 18
3.1.3.2. French: 3
3.1.3.3. North German: 2
3.1.3.4. North Italian: 137
3.1.3.5. Slovene: 2
3.1.3.6. South Italian: 363
3.2. Government
3.2.1. Governor-General: Pál Schmitt, of Vienna, Austria
3.2.2. Capital: Lusaka
3.2.3. The most recent African colony to be established, Angola is also the only one to have anything resembling a colony-wide functioning representative democracy. A unicameral parliament called the Angolan Senate is a yearly assembly of one representative from each of the 2536 officially recognised villages and settlements, which must give its approval to any legislation presented by the Governor-General for those acts to come into force.
4. Arabia
4.1. Population
4.1.1. Number of households: 201 Thousand
4.1.2. Of which European: 267
4.1.3. Of which:
4.1.3.1. French: 4
4.1.3.2. North German: 2
4.1.3.3. North Italian: 134
4.1.3.4. South German: 2
4.1.3.5. South Italian: 122
4.1.3.6. Ukrainian: 3
4.2. Government
4.2.1. Sultan: Rahman (Al Saud)
4.2.2. Prime Minister: Crown Prince Hafiz Al Saud
4.2.3. Capital: Riyadh
4.2.4. Ruled by a distant relative of the former monarchs of Nejd, Arabia is ruled by its legislative chamber, the Royal Council of Ministers, which is appointed by the Sultan. A government is currently formed on the Sultan’s behalf by his brother, who is also next in line to the throne.
4.2.5. Since the Arabia is not a colony, the Federal Congress and the Ministry of Colonial Affairs have no direct oversight of the territory’s internal affairs.
5. Federal East Africa
5.1. Population
5.1.1. Number of households: 1.96 Million
5.1.2. Of which European: 690
5.1.3. Of which:
5.1.3.1. Danubian: 17
5.1.3.2. French: 1
5.1.3.3. North German: 4
5.1.3.4. North Italian: 345
5.1.3.5. Slovene: 2
5.1.3.6. South German: 5
5.1.3.7. South Italian: 315
5.1.3.8. Ukrainian: 1
5.2. Government
5.2.1. Governor-General: Paul Rübig, of Vienna, Austria
5.2.2. Capital: Nairobi
5.2.3. Federal East Africa is divided into the legislative regions of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Mombassa-Zanzibar. Each region has internal legislative powers through an assembly; however, only Mombassa-Zanzibar has a popularly elected Regional Parliament, with all other states having opted for tribal or centrally-appointed assemblies. Powers over the colony at large remain vested in the Governor-General.
6. Federal Equatorial Africa
6.1. Population
6.1.1. Number of households: 539 Thousand
6.1.2. Of which European: 605
6.1.3. Of which:
6.1.3.1. French: 3
6.1.3.2. North Italian: 134
6.1.3.3. South Italian: 242
6.2. Government
6.2.1. Governor-General: Peter Sichrovsky, of Innsbruck, Austria
6.2.2. Capital: Massenya
6.2.3. The population was judged too sparse for efficient representation so the vast majority of powers are delegated to local tribal councils. Powers over the colony at large remain vested in the Governor-General.
7. Federal Territories of the Congo
7.1. Population
7.1.1. Number of households: 710 Thousand
7.1.2. Of which European: 687
7.1.3. Of which:
7.1.3.1. Danubian: 18
7.1.3.2. French: 4
7.1.3.3. Hungarian: 2
7.1.3.4. North Italian: 203
7.1.3.5. South German: 5
7.1.3.6. South Italian: 499
7.1.3.7. Ukrainian: 6
7.2. Government
7.2.1. Governor-General: Hynek Fajmon, of Prague, Bohemia
7.2.2. Capital: Irebu
7.2.3. The Congo suffers from very low levels of development, to an extent not even seen anywhere else in the African colonies. No attempts at representation of any kind have been made over such concerns and power, limited though it is, remains concentrated in the colonial government led by the Governor-General.
8. Federal West Africa
8.1. Population
8.1.1. Number of households: 1.82 Million
8.1.2. Of which European: 729
8.1.3. Of which:
8.1.3.1. Danubian: 36
8.1.3.2. French: 3
8.1.3.3. North Italian: 213
8.1.3.4. Slovene: 5
8.1.3.5. South Italian: 466
8.1.3.6. Ukrainian: 5
8.2. Government
8.2.1. Governor-General: Adrian Severin, of Bacau, formerly Romania
8.2.2. Capital: Boffa
8.2.3. Federal West Africa was the worst governed colony visited by inspectors on behalf of the committee. Though there is a Federally-appointed council holding legislative power, this body has never managed to create much of an impact outside the coastal capital. In reality, what government services are required, such as the construction of infrastructure or the maintenance of law and order, is carried out by private trading companies, in particular the Federal Trading Corporation, largely without the regulation of the colonial government.
9. Gulf of Aden Territories
9.1. Population
9.1.1. Number of households: 14 Thousand
9.1.2. Of which European: 24
9.1.3. Of which:
9.1.3.1. North Italian: 8
9.1.3.2. South Italian: 16
9.2. Government
9.2.1. Governor-General: Hossam Badrawi, of Suez, Suez
9.2.2. Capital: Aden
9.2.3. Though the three provinces which make up the Gulf of Aden Territories do have a large degree of autonomy, most of the colony’s legislative activities are handled by Aden City Council, established in the image of the Melilla’s governing council, despite it not having de jure jurisdiction over the other provinces: the officials appointed to the other two provinces by the Governor-General to lead the local administrations have by convention followed those laws enacted by Aden City Council. Aden City Council is currently elected by universal male suffrage within the bounds of the city of Aden: one seat on the council is reserved for a representative of the Federal government, who is currently Jelko Kacin, of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
9.2.4. It should be noted that the current Governor-General was previously employed by the Suez Canal Company and has elected to retain the cosy links the Territories have previously held with the state-owned corporation. Ships of the Suez Canal Company currently pay no docking fees or other taxes when using ports within the territories, similar to agreements the company has with the government in Suez itself, and plans are in progress to establish and maintain a large-scale official delegation of the company in Aden. When the previous Governor-General resigned, Aden City Council only considered one man who had never been employed by the Suez Canal Company.
9.2.5. Since the Gulf of Aden Territories are not colonies, the Federal Congress and the Ministry of Colonial Affairs have no direct oversight of the Territories’ internal affairs.
10. Mauritania
10.1. Population
10.1.1. Number of households: 329 Thousand
10.1.2. Of which European: 431
10.1.3. Of which:
10.1.3.1. North Italian: 218
10.1.3.2. Slovene: 6
10.1.3.3. South German: 1
10.1.3.4. South Italian: 402
10.1.3.5. Ukrainian: 4
10.2. Government
10.2.1. Governor-General: Adeel Bassir, of Gabes, Tunisia
10.2.2. Capital: Bamako
10.2.3. The population was judged too sparse for efficient representation so the vast majority of powers are delegated to local tribal councils. Powers over the colony at large remain vested in the Governor-General.
11. Oman
11.1. Population
11.1.1. Number of households: 49 Thousand
11.1.2. Of which European: 114
11.1.3. Of which:
11.1.3.1. North Italian: 60
11.1.3.2. South Italian: 54
11.2. Government
11.2.1. Chief Minister: Malik Fahri, of Muscat, Oman
11.2.2. Capital: Muscat
11.2.3. Oman and Yemen have similar constitutional structures, with a unicameral elected parliament called the Chamber of Deputies being elected upon a similar basis to the Federal body of the same name. From the Chamber, a Chief Minister is elected to lead the government. Oman and Yemen are currently without defined Heads of State, but are in talks with Arabia to form a unified Arabian monarchy over all three territories.
11.2.4. Most colonial goods are relatively standard raw materials, many of which are also produced within the Federation’s states; however, Oman and Yemen are also the only locations where opiates are grown in the Federation, the production of which is actively encouraged by the government.
11.2.5. Since the Oman is not a colony, the Federal Congress and the Ministry of Colonial Affairs have no direct oversight of the territory’s internal affairs.
12. Somaliland
12.1. Population
12.1.1. Number of households: 288 Thousand
12.1.2. Of which European: 231
12.1.3. Of which:
12.1.3.1. Danubian: 19
12.1.3.2. Hungarian: 2
12.1.3.3. North Italian: 77
12.1.3.4. South German: 3
12.1.3.5. South Italian: 130
12.2. Government
12.2.1. Governor-General: Jörg Leichtfried, of Sopron, Hungary
12.2.2. Capital: Mogadishu
12.2.3. Somaliland is currently without a constitution or legislative assembly after the previous such body voted to hold a constitutional convention. It is currently awaiting approval from the Colonial Ministry for the members of the colony nominated to craft a new constitution.
13. Yemen
13.1. Population
13.1.1. Number of households: 69 Thousand
13.1.2. Of which European: 185
13.1.3. Of which:
13.1.3.1. Czech: 87
13.1.3.2. Hungarian: 43
13.1.3.3. South Italian: 55
13.2. Government
13.2.1. Chief Minister: Ayman Mauda, of Sana, Yemen
13.2.2. Capital: Sana
13.2.3. Oman and Yemen have similar constitutional structures, with a unicameral elected parliament called the Chamber of Deputies being elected upon a similar basis to the Federal body of the same name. From the Chamber, a Chief Minister is elected to lead the government. Oman and Yemen are currently without defined Heads of State, but are in talks with Arabia to form a unified Arabian monarchy over all three territories.
13.2.4. Most colonial goods are relatively standard raw materials, many of which are also produced within the Federation’s states; however, Oman and Yemen are also the only locations where opiates are grown in the Federation, the production of which is actively encouraged by the government.
13.2.5. Since the Yemen is not a colony, the Federal Congress and the Ministry of Colonial Affairs have no direct oversight of the territory’s internal affairs.
14. Closing comments
14.1. The Committee finds cause for concern in the current wording of the constitution regarding the current vague restrictions upon colonial and territorial governments to be ‘non-autocratic’ and questions whether many of the current governments currently fulfil this requirement.
14.2. The Committee notes that a lack of central oversight in many colonies is limiting development and there is a major problem with duplication and inefficiency. Due to these problems, no clear indication can be made as to whether corruption also exists within the colonial system, though the Committee believes it is likely.
14.3. The Committee believes that the current treatment of natives in the colonies is satisfactory, with a great deal of self-governance in the absence of a large European population; however, the Committee also believes that further centralisation and improvements in the African colonies in particular would require either a sustained attempt to raise the level of education within the native population, which the Committee believes is largely untenable in the short term, or a greater push to encourage European migration to the colonies.
14.4. The Committee recommends further engagement by the Federal Government and Congress with the endeavours of this nation overseas if the Federation wishes to maintain its position in Africa and Arabia.
Signed,
Hans-Peter Martin
Chairman of the Colonial Ministry Oversight Committee