German East Africa (with Lamu and Zanzibar)

Post Offices from 14.10.1890 until October 1917
German Post Office Abroad in Lamu from 22.12.1888 until 31.3.1891
German Post Office Abroad in Zanzibar from 31.8.1890 until 31.7.1891

German East Africa, the largest of the German colonies extended from 29 degrees to 41 degrees longitude East and 1 and 11 degrees latitude South, covering an area of some 1 million sq. kms. It was thus double the size of the then motherland and nearly three times the size of present day Germany. By far the largest part of the territory constitutes a plateau at a height of 1000 m to 1500 m. In the Northeast this includes the highest point in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro at almost 5900 m.

In 1913 the population was estimated at about 7.5 million;of these 15000 Indian, Arab and other non-whites. The white population comprised 1131 people in 1900 and had increased to 5336 by 1913 of whom 4107 were German.