شرق أفريقيا الألمانية

Tabora gold, the German currency minted in the jungles of Africa

In the late 19th century, Germany aggressively pursued its ambitions to rival the major colonial powers, seeking to secure raw materials and resources to fuel its burgeoning industry. To this end, it extended its influence over the Great Lakes region of East Africa (which today includes Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and parts of Mozambique), sometimes under the guise of humanitarian concerns such as combating the slave trade, and at other times under the pretext of economic interests.