Population Density as a Source of Security Threats Through East African Examples

Abstract

East African states face a number of challenges, not least the uneven population density and the locations of their capitals. The former depends on a number of factors, notably topography, livelihoods and climate. The capitals are primarily a colonial legacy, as are most of the frontiers, although there are rare counter-examples of both in East Africa. The paper examines, ceteris paribus, the impact of uneven population density, relatively large land areas and capitals on African statehood. All other factors are excluded, and no other indicators are included that would influence the impact of these three factors. For this purpose, the system of center-periphery relations and the theory of concentric circles are applied.