Chapter 270: Portugal

Under the large investment of funds from the Spanish government, the West Africa Development Plan proceeded quite smoothly, and railway construction and immigration work were all unfolding in an orderly manner.

In these two or three months at the end of the year, Spain immigrated more than 50,000 people from itself and other regions to the three colonies in West Africa; such immigration intensity was unprecedented for Spain.

According to the speed of 50,000 immigrants in 3 months, the three colonies in West Africa could obtain a total of about 200,000 immigrants every year, which was already one-fifth of the total population of the Cuba colony.

If calculated by population, Spain would only need five years to recreate another Cuba colony. With such a large immigrant population in the three West African colonies, construction will certainly proceed quite smoothly.

The reason why more than 50,000 immigrants were transferred in less than 3 months was because of the efforts and cooperation of all parties.

First was the Cuba side; the Cuba people willing to go to Spain's other colonies added up to several thousand people.

Although compared to Cuba's total population, it was less than one percent, for the Spanish government, several thousand people would not be considered few.

Before handing over the Cuba colony, the colonial government transferred these several thousand people to the South Morocco colony, and then transferred them from the South Morocco colony to the three colonies in West Africa.

For these Cuba people who voluntarily went to Spain's other colonies, Gao Da was also quite generous. Those who wanted to be plantation owners, Spain could provide them with land, and would also provide them with local indigenous labor with low rent to help them reclaim land and build plantations.

As for those who were not very willing to engage in agricultural work, they could also build a small workshop in the colony. The Royal United Bank and the Spanish National Bank would enter all of Spain's colonies, and for these immigrants who came to the colony with their families, there would also be certain support and encouragement policies.

Cuba's population was one aspect, and the other indigenous populations in Spain's other colonies were also one aspect. Accompanied by the progress of Spain's assimilation work for the Moroccans, a considerable part of the population in the South Morocco colony had initially mastered Spanish, and many people had also converted to Catholicism.

Regardless of whether they were sincerely converted to Catholicism, anyway, they had no power to refuse the decision of the Spanish government.

The population of South Morocco had dropped to less than 500,000; besides some extreme Muslims who died in labor, most of the population loss was because of Spain's immigration policy.

From the establishment of the South Morocco colony to now, Spain had introduced at least 300,000 immigrants in the Morocco region.

The regions these immigrants went to were varied; some were transferred to Spain itself, and some went to Spain's other colonies.

Among the 50,000 immigrants obtained by the three colonies in West Africa, just the Moroccans were close to 20,000.

The remaining immigrants mostly came from the Congo territory and the Guinea colony, and Spain itself also contributed several thousand immigrants.

As for the reason why the Spanish were enthusiastic about immigrating, it was not that they could not live in Spain, but that the immigration policy promulgated by the Spanish government was too attractive.

The area of the three colonies in West Africa combined was still very large, especially the Gambia colony, which was relatively suitable for agricultural development.

The colonial affairs department also promulgated different encouraging immigration policies according to the situation of the West African colonies, among which were free land, agricultural tax reduction, free boat tickets, and low-interest loans, etc.

Especially Spain's big aristocrats, they were still quite interested in building plantations.

This era had a characteristic, which was that mechanized agricultural planting in various countries was only at the starting stage, and most countries were still small-scale peasant economies.

Added to the fact that fertilizer technology was not mature, it led to the fact that the food production of various countries in the world was not very high; besides countries possessing large plains, few countries could achieve self-sufficiency in food.

Even countries with relatively high food production still had phenomena of not being able to eat enough and starving to death.

Spain was relatively good in this aspect, because it abolished various miscellaneous taxes and reduced land rent, farmers could leave enough food to eat enough.

Looking at all of Europe, because many countries had insufficient food production, international food prices were still relatively high.

After European countries entered the peaceful stage, the population of various countries would also usher in a period of explosive growth.

During this period, food prices would only be high and not low, which was also the reason why Spanish aristocrats were keen on farming.

Of course, they were also not only planting food; vegetables and fruits, olives and grapes, and other crops were also within the scope of planting in Spanish aristocratic plantations.

The summary was that whatever made money, Spanish aristocrats planted whatever. If they didn't know what made money, they planted all food; anyway, food was also not worried about selling.

It is worth mentioning that Spain was Europe's main agricultural product exporter, and also Europe's main food importer.

This did not conflict. The reason why Spain became Europe's main agricultural product exporter was the production of Spain's vegetables and fruits.

Including olives that could be used to extract oil, and grapes that could be used to make wine, all belonged to fruits, and were also agricultural products mainly produced by Spain.

Spain was Europe's largest olive producer, and also Europe's main grape and wine producer. Spain exported a large amount of agricultural products every year to buy a large amount of food with the money from exporting agricultural products.

Yes, currently Spain's food production had been unable to meet the needs of the 20 million-plus population of the whole country.

This was also a situation that could not be helped; for a country where most of the land was mountainous, meeting the food needs of the whole country's population was too difficult.

Unless this country did not have many people, but Spain's population experienced more than ten years of growth and had reached the scale of 20 million; looking at all of Europe, it absolutely could not be considered few.

Although there were still many gaps compared to power countries, looking at all of Europe, countries with a population of over 20 million were not many; besides several major powers, only the Ottoman Empire's population exceeded 20 million.

However, the Ottoman Empire was not considered a European country. The Ottoman Empire also had a mocking title, which was the Sick Man of West Asia.

From this point, it could also be seen that Europeans did not feel that the Ottoman Empire was a European country. This also meant that in the eyes of Europeans, countries with a population exceeding 20 million were only powers.

Although the Gambia colony was more suitable for agricultural planting, because the scale of the colony was not large at present, Spain's goal was only to provide a part of food supply for itself.

The influx of a large amount of food would also affect Spain's food prices, reducing the income of Spain's vast farmer group. Therefore, the food production of Gambia was also something that needed to be controlled.

Or, besides a small part provided to Spain itself, most of the food production of the Gambia colony had to be exported to the outside world, or further processed and then exported to the outside world or sold domestically.

Regarding the construction of the Gambia colony, the Spanish government's initial goal was to increase the food production of the Gambia colony to about 200,000 tons, which was one-twentieth of Spain's own food production.

Although there was only 200,000 tons of food production, it was no problem to support a population of about 1 million. The food produced by the Gambia colony would be fully provided to the South Morocco colony, the Sierra Leone colony, and the Gold Coast and Guinea.

It is worth mentioning that because the Gambia colony was closer to Africa, in theory, the land yield per mu of the Gambia colony was higher than that of Spain itself.

Especially in planting rice, because the sunshine was more sufficient, the land of Gambia could do two crops a year or even three crops.

And Spain's rice could only do one crop a year; only a small part of regions with more sufficient sunshine could do two crops a year.

Two crops to three crops a year compared to one crop a year, in terms of food production, was at least a gap of more than two times. This was also the reason why Gao Da was optimistic about the Gambia colony becoming Spain's important food production area; this piece of land could be said to occupy all the advantages of time, place, and people, and only lacked a large number of immigrants to promote the harmony of people.

Accompanied by the progress of the West Africa Development Plan, time finally jumped from 1880 to 1881.

For the Spanish government, 1881 was about to face new challenges. Spain's goal was to obtain Portuguese Guinea, Portuguese Bissau, Portuguese Ouidah, and Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe in the new year.

The area of these colonies was not large, but they were all located around the colonies Spain had already mastered. Especially Portuguese Guinea and Portuguese Bissau, if Spain's Gambia colony wanted to expand, Portugal's colonies were almost the only choice.

After all, the north of the Gambia colony was France's Senegal colony; if they did not want to break out conflict with the French, they could only put their eyes on the Portuguese.

Of course, the Gambia colony could also expand to the interior. But the problem was, Britain's Gambia colony was built along the river, and the whole colony was more like a rectangle.

If they continued to expand to the interior, the east and west of the colony would be infinitely stretched, but the north and south were only a few dozen kilometers.

If they did not break out conflict with France, that was fine; if they broke out conflict with France, the French army would at any time go south from the Senegal colony and cut off the connection between the east and west of the Gambia colony at any place.

This point still needed to be prepared in advance; although the French probably would not take the initiative to attack, the precautions that should be had must be had.

If they could merge with Portuguese Guinea, the Gambia colony would become a shape similar to a square, and there would be no risk of being cut off.

As for the Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe that were not mentioned before, these two colonies were not on the African continent, but were located in the Gulf of Guinea, separated from Spain's Guinea colony by the sea.

Although they were all called Guinea colonies, Portugal's Guinea colony was located at the protrusion at the westernmost end of Africa, while Spain's Guinea colony was located at the inner corner of Africa's 7-shaped turn, and the two were separated by a distance of more than 2,000 kilometers.

If they could take down São Tomé and Príncipe, Spain could also strengthen its influence in the Gulf of Guinea, and at the same time protect the coast of various colonies in the Gulf of Guinea.

Although the scale of these colonies was not large, wanting to obtain these colonies from the hands of the Portuguese was undoubtedly very difficult.

As a former colonial empire, Portugal also had its own pride. Spain could only obtain these colonies through the method of interest exchange; if they wanted to take them by force, it would only destroy the relationship between Spain and the Portuguese.

Gao Da's preliminary plan was to obtain these colonies of Portugal through a method similar to colony exchange.

If the method of colony exchange failed, Gao Da would consider other ways.

Anyway, Portugal was a country on the Iberian Peninsula, right in front of Spain's eyes. For Spain, Portugal was a piece of fat on the chopping board; how to eat it was only a matter of time, and Portugal could not run away.

After New Year's Day, Spanish Prime Minister Canovas found the Portuguese diplomatic ambassador to Spain and talked about the situation of the two countries jointly developing colonies.

Because Portugal and Spain jointly developed New Guinea Island, in terms of colonial development, Portugal and Spain still had a relatively good relationship.

After talking for more than half an hour, Prime Minister Canovas finally shifted the topic to the topic related to African colonies, and directly revealed the colony exchange agreement related to the secret treaty between Spain and Britain.

When the Portuguese diplomatic ambassador heard that Spain used the Cuba colony to exchange for Britain's three colonies in West Africa, the Portuguese diplomatic ambassador first showed an expression of surprise, and then was somewhat regretful and remorseful.

What was he remorseful about? Naturally, he was remorseful that Portugal did not know the news in advance and could not obtain the Cuba colony from Spain's hands.

First, regardless of the shortcomings of the Cuba colony, Cuba was still a colony with extreme value at this time. Spain could give up the Cuba colony was something Portugal did not expect, and even more did not expect that the British only used three colonies in West Africa that had no value to exchange for a complete Cuba.

That was because Spain had a big family and a big business, added to the fact that it opened up the Congo territory in Africa, so it had the capital to give up the Cuba colony.

Portugal could not do this; first, Portugal did not have many colonies in the country, and second, the Portuguese public would not accept the government's behavior of actively giving up colonies.

Although somewhat surprised by the Spanish government's choice, the Portuguese diplomatic ambassador could only express an affirmative attitude towards this. He was also not stupid; naturally, he understood the truth that if he put forward different opinions, he would certainly offend the Spanish government.

First, regardless of whether the Spanish government did it right or wrong, Portugal certainly had no say in this. If the Portuguese ambassador talked too much, would he not be looking for trouble for Portugal itself?

After chatting for another period of time, the topic was finally shifted to the Congo territory and the land in the south of the Congo territory.

Canovas first expressed that after Spain obtained the three colonies in West Africa, it was already unable to conduct a new round of colonial actions on the land in the south of the Congo territory.

Immediately after, Canovas seemed to have thought of a good idea and proposed to the Portuguese diplomatic ambassador that the two sides reach a compromise similar to New Guinea Island regarding the colonization of the Congo Basin.

Spain fully gave up the colonization of the land in the south of the Congo territory and supported Portugal in conducting colonial actions on these lands.

As a return, Portugal would transfer the few colonies in the West Africa region to the Spanish government, helping the Spanish government better conduct the West Africa development plan.

Of course, in order to show Spain's sincerity, Portugal could first conduct colonial expansion on the land in the south of the Congo territory, and after having certain achievements, then transfer the colonies in West Africa to Spain.

Just like the Luanda Kingdom in the east of Portuguese West Africa, this was the land closest to the Congo region controlled by Portugal; the Portuguese government could first colonize it, and then transfer the land in West Africa to Spain.

The reason why he put forward the proposal of receiving goods before paying was because Spain was not afraid of Portugal breaking the contract at all.

I believe the Portuguese government should also have self-knowledge; in front of the excessive strength gap between Portugal and Spain, unilaterally tearing up the treaty would only let Portugal perish faster.

If the war were caused by Portugal unilaterally tearing up the treaty, Britain would not have any good reason to help Portugal, at least not to the extent of safeguarding all of Portugal's interests.

This is precisely the reason for the Spanish government's confidence; as long as the Portuguese side reaches a relevant agreement with Spain, the Portuguese government will have no choice but to comply.

Upon hearing Prime Minister Canovas's proposal, the Portuguese diplomatic ambassador was stunned for a moment, then began to think it over carefully.

If Spain's two most important colonies were previously Cuba and the Philippines, then for Portugal at this time, the two most important colonies are Portuguese West Africa and Portuguese Mozambique.

The Portuguese West Africa mentioned here is not the scattered colonies Portugal held in West Africa, but the colony established after Portugal annexed the Kingdom of Kongo in the lower reaches of the Congo River.

The southern region of the Spanish Congo territory is situated exactly between Portuguese West Africa and Portuguese Mozambique. According to what Spain says, although Portugal would give up its scattered West African colonies, it would have the hope of connecting the Congo region with Mozambique to establish a larger Portuguese African colony.

(End of this chapter)