Africa, Central: Independent States

Abstract

There still remain certain quasi-independent States in Central Africa about which it may be useful to give here such information as is obtainable with respect to their political, religious, industrial, and commercial condition. These are the Central Sudan States—Bornu and Wadai (on which Kanem and Bagirmi are dependent); Dahomey, in the Gold Coast interior; although as a matter of fact Bornu may be regarded as within the British sphere, and Dahomey, if not Wadai, within the French sphere; under this head may also be included the old Egyptian Sudan. In 1890, Uganda, Unyoro, the northern half of Ruanda, and a small part of Karagwe, were included in the sphere of the Imperial British East African Company; while the south half of Ruanda and the rest of Karagwe were included in the German East African Protectorate. In 1891 Lunda (the Muata Yanvo’s Kingdom) was divided between Portugal and the Congo Free State. The region lying between the eastern boundary of the French sphere in the Sahara, the western limits of Egypt, the country of Fezzan in the north, and the Central Sudan in the south, is still unannexed. It contains the mountainous inhabited region of Tibesti.