East Africa in the British Empire

How was East Africa connected to the British Empire?

Areas of East Africa became part of the British Empire, and remained part of the Empire until decolonisation in the late 20th century.

When was East Africa brought into the British Empire?

Britain began to take territory in East Africa after the Berlin Conference in 1884. The Imperial East Africa Company was founded in 1888.

Why was East Africa brought into the British Empire?

There were economic reasons for bringing East Africa into the empire.

• ❖ Germany was also taking land in East Africa, so Britain wished to compete with Germany there.
• ❖ East Africa had a lot of farmland. It was considered a good place for British migrants to settle and farm profitably.
• ❖ This became particularly important after the Second World War, when Britain needed to rebuild its economy. They wished to import grain from East Africa to help feed people in Britain.