How Good Is Your Geographic? [5]

[schmenke]

Is it that odd kink on the border between Egypt and the Sudan, that extends the border of Sudan into Lake Nasser?

[D-Type]

Not that one. Egypt was never really a colony that European powers could mess about with.

On reflection, rather than a 'kink' I could hve said a 'step'

[edv]

Is it about the Brits and the Germans (Victoria & Wilhelm) re the border between Tanzania and Kenya around Mt Kilimanjaro ?

[D-Type]

Yes that's the one! Your question

[D-Type]

As one website puts it

1884 - Harry Johnston, a 26-year old British explorer makes an agreement with Chagga chief Mandara to acquire absolute rights to 15 square km of forest near Taveta, north of the mountain.

1885 - Dr. Carl Juhkle, a member of the GDK, a German colonization society concludes 10 treaties with the Sultan of Zanzibar placing the territory around Kilimanjaro under German "protection".

1886 - In the complex web of 19th century geo-politics Britain, Germany, and France step towards war over this, but a treaty is reached. Each power is granted the rights to a port: Mombassa to the Brits, Dar es Salaam to the Germans, with the French consolidating positions in Madagascar. The Sultan kept control of Zanzibar and not much else. When negotiators worked out the border between Kenya and Tanzania, the 1884 and '85 Johnston and Juhkle agreements were held to be binding. Thus Taveta is in Kenya today, and the border near Kilimanjaro has a kink.

The author concludes with:

There is a story that the boundary is kinked because Queen Victoria gave Kilimanjaro to her grandson (the future Wilhelm II) as a birthday present when the Kaiser complained that as well as the most spectacul;ar falls and the largest lake in Africa she had two snowy mountains ... while he had none. The gift, the story goes, caused some realignment of the boundary. This hoary old legend, which must have come from some humorist's pen, is often presented as solemn, unquestioned fact; but there is no truth in it.

I prefer the legend to the truth.

I threw in Christmas in case I needed to give a hint based on Kilimanjaro looking like a Christmas pudding from some directions.

[edv]

Well, it was a good guess only ... Mt K. just stood out as something big that a border just skirted around.

[edv]

OK Here's one:

Assuming that the centre of the interior of the Earth is located at a single point:
Where on the Earth's surface should you stand to be the farthest distance from that point?

[Tazio]

Dude, are you talking about the top of Mt. Chimborazo?

[edv]

Yup.
It truly is the highest point on Earth.

Your go Mr. Nuvalari

[Tazio]

What European city is this?




Extra credit:

What country would you be in if you were in the town of Rectum?