Hearing this, Wolfgang and the others finally eased their anxious hearts a little. Von der Leyen was right: at least judging by Mombasa, its environment was not much different from that of other nearby Middle Eastern cities. The inland regions were harder to judge, but East Africa had recruited so many immigrants that if large-scale epidemics broke out at the drop of a hat, it would have long since been unable to bear such losses. Immigrants themselves came at enormous cost.
Wolfgang said, "Your Excellency Von der Leyen, compared with Mombasa and cities such as Nairobi that you mentioned, Dar es Salaam is East Africa's largest city. Why are you not seeking investment there?"
Von der Leyen said, "Dar es Salaam is currently East Africa's largest city mainly for historical reasons. It was originally Zanzibar's most important stronghold on the mainland, so it was developed early. More precisely, it was close to Zanzibar Island, and Zanzibar Island was the core of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. But after the Kingdom of East Africa was established, Dar es Salaam no longer possessed that advantage. East Africa's core lies on the mainland, and Dar es Salaam is merely one important East African port. Its conditions are somewhat inferior to Mombasa's."
Wolfgang said, "How so?"
Von der Leyen said, "First, Mombasa lies in northern East Africa. It is closer than Dar es Salaam to both Europe and the Far East, and I believe you understand what that means. Especially after the Suez Canal opened, Dar es Salaam became like Venice after the decline of the Mediterranean Sea—replaced by ports along the Atlantic Ocean, its status declining even further. Another point is that the economic structure west of Dar es Salaam is relatively singular, centered mainly on food crop cultivation. Thus, unless one is engaged