The Backbone of Africa Author(s): Alfred Sharpe Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 52, No. 3 (Sep., 1918), pp. 141-154 Published by: geographicalj Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1779585 Accessed: 21-06-2016 00:13 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. Wiley, The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Geographical Journal This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:13:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms The Geographical Journal Vol. LII No. 3 September 1918 THE BACKBONE OF AFRICA Sir Alfred Sharpe, K.C.M.G., C.B. (Read at the Meeting of the Society, 10 June 1918.) SOME Central thirty Africa, years zrid ago the therivers "African Zambezi Lakes and Shire Route" and intoLakes Eastern Nyasa and Tanganyika, figured largely as an alternative to suggested- raiiways from the East Coast to Lakes Victoria or Tanganyika. Since the eighties, however, many things have happened in this part of the continent, and owing to rapid progress in British East Africa, Uganda, and ex-German East Africa, and to political re-arrangements, the southern route as a trunk line of communication has fallen out of consideration.