In fact, East Africa's territory had shrunk somewhat because of negotiations with France. For instance, after the two countries negotiated, East Africa returned part of the land east of Antananarivo that it had swallowed up to France.
After all, this had been a windfall. The benefits East Africa had gained while France invaded the Kingdom of Imerina far outweighed those lands, so France was still the one that had truly lost out. France could originally have obtained the entire territory of the Kingdom of Imerina, but East Africa had prevented that from happening.
Of course, returning part of the Kingdom of Imerina's land was not important to East Africa. Most of the other regions East Africa had acquired were mountain ranges and areas capable of forming strategic passes, allowing East Africa to exert strategic pressure on French Madagascar.
Of course, had it not returned that portion of land, East Africa's territory would have securely exceeded thirteen million square kilometers, rather than merely edging past it as it did now.
However, East Africa could not be too greedy. It was already firmly the world's second-largest country by area, and those thirteen million square kilometers referred only to the mainland. If the Lanfang Overseas Province were included, the total would be far greater, and that did not even count East Africa's other colonies.
"This administrative division is relatively reasonable, but implementing it will require a fairly long process. We will first establish provinces in undisputed areas such as Orange and Southwest Africa. As for disputed regions like Great Lake Province, they will need to transition gradually."
After all, Great Lake Province required negotiations between the former Plateau Province and Western Great Lakes Province. Bujumbura might even be separated out to become the new provincial capital of Sigmaringen Province, which would also