german east africa: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Academic, Historical
Quick answer
What does “german east africa” mean?
A German colony in East Africa from 1885 to 1918, comprising modern-day Tanzania (excluding Zanzibar), Burundi, and Rwanda.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A German colony in East Africa from 1885 to 1918, comprising modern-day Tanzania (excluding Zanzibar), Burundi, and Rwanda.
A historical political entity, used primarily in historical, geopolitical, and colonial studies contexts. It often references the period of German imperial rule, its administration, economic exploitation (e.g., sisal plantations), and the post-WWI transition to British and Belgian mandates.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling remains identical. Slight variation in how often it is encountered, depending on national curriculum focus on colonial history.
Connotations
Carries strong connotations of colonialism, imperial competition, and 20th-century world history. Neutral in academic register, potentially negative in post-colonial discourse.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general language. Higher frequency in academic history, African studies, and WWI literature.
Grammar
How to Use “german east africa” in a Sentence
the history of ~the colony known as ~~, which comprised...~ was established/ceded/dividedVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “german east africa” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The territory was germanised during its time as German East Africa.
- Britain sought to administer the former German East Africa.
American English
- Germany fought to maintain control over German East Africa.
- The League of Nations mandate replaced German East Africa.
adverb
British English
- [Not applicable; not used as an adverb]
American English
- [Not applicable; not used as an adverb]
adjective
British English
- The German East African colonial administration was headquartered in Dar es Salaam.
- He studied German East African history.
American English
- The German-East African war effort was prolonged.
- German East African sisal was a major export.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in historical context of commodity trades (sisal, rubber).
Academic
Primary context. Used in history, political science, African studies, and colonial/post-colonial studies.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Used only in specific discussions of history or genealogy.
Technical
Used in historical geography, cartography, and legal history regarding colonial treaties.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “german east africa”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “german east africa”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “german east africa”
- Using 'German East Africa' to refer to modern Germany's relations with Africa.*
- Incorrect preposition: 'on German East Africa' instead of 'in German East Africa'.*
- Treating it as a common noun (e.g., 'a german east africa'). It is always capitalised.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The mainland territory (Tanganyika) is now part of Tanzania. Rwanda and Burundi are independent nations.
Formally with Germany's defeat in World War I in 1918, though effective military control was lost earlier during the East African Campaign.
The territory was divided under League of Nations mandates: Tanganyika to Britain, and Rwanda and Burundi to Belgium.
No, it is a specialised historical term. It is not used in contemporary contexts except when discussing late 19th and early 20th-century history.
A German colony in East Africa from 1885 to 1918, comprising modern-day Tanzania (excluding Zanzibar), Burundi, and Rwanda.
German east africa is usually formal, academic, historical in register.
German east africa: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdʒɜːmən iːst ˈæfrɪkə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdʒɝːmən iːst ˈæfrɪkə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No established idioms for this proper noun]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
GERMAN + EAST + AFRICA. Think: Germany wanted an empire; their piece in the EAST of AFRICA was this colony.
Conceptual Metaphor
A CHESS PIECE (in the game of imperial competition). A CHAPTER (in the book of African history).
Practice
Quiz
Which modern countries were NOT part of German East Africa?