British East Africa: Map & History
East Africa Protectorate was a British protectorate in the African Great Lakes, occupying roughly the same area as present-day Kenya, from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west part.
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East Africa Protectorate was a British protectorate in the African Great Lakes, occupying roughly the same area as present-day Kenya, from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west part. Controlled by the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, it grew out of British commercial interests in the area in the 1880s and remained a protectorate until 1920 when it became the Colony of Kenya, save for an independent 16-kilometre-wide (10 mi) coastal strip that became the Kenya Protectorate.
Modern Countries Once Part of British East Africa
At its mapped extent, British East Africa covered territory in 10 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Botswana1961–1968 CE · nearly all
- Zimbabwe1961–1968 CE · nearly all
- Lesotho1961–1968 CE · nearly all
- Gambia1961–1968 CE · nearly all
- Zambia1961–1968 CE · nearly all
- Uganda1961–1968 CE · most
- Kenya1961–1968 CE · most
- Swaziland1961–1968 CE · most
- Malawi1961–1968 CE · most
- Tanzania1961–1968 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside British East Africa's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
British East Africa in Depth
Stamps and postal history of British East Africa
The protectorate upon becoming a direct possession of British Empire in 1895 had overprinted postal stamps from India and the former Imperial British East Africa Company issued. Along with this the territory was incorporated into the Universal Postal Union. By 1896, the first line of official stamps was issued, although the protectorate's postage service was short lived as in 1901 it was merged with the Protectorate of Uganda's mail service becoming the East Africa and Uganda protectorates issuing their first stamps in 1904.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: East Africa Protectorate (CC BY-SA 4.0).
British East Africa: Key Facts
| Capitals | Mombasa, Nairobi |
|---|---|
| Religion | Christianity |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy |
| Currencies | East African rupee, East African florin, East African shilling |
| Founded | 1 July 1895 |
| Dissolved | 23 July 1920 |
Succeeded by
- Kenya Colony
Facts from Wikidata Q876185 (CC0).
British East Africa Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 2,676,386 km² in 1964 CE.
British East Africa: Frequently Asked Questions
When did British East Africa exist?
British East Africa is dated to 1961 CE – 1972 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of British East Africa?
The capital of British East Africa was Mombasa (1895–1905), Nairobi (1905–1920).
How large was British East Africa at its peak?
At its peak in 1964 British East Africa covered about 2,676,386 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad