German East Africa

under construction

German East Africa, or Deutsche Ostafrika, was a German colony that included much of today's Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. In February 1885, German post offices were established in the colony.

 File:GEA Tanga forerunner.jpg|2m forerunner usage of 2 mark German stamp File:GEA horiz ovpt.jpg|1893 2 pesa on 3 pf File:GEA diagonal ovpt.jpg|1896 3p on 5pf surcharge File:GEA yacht 20p.jpg|1901 20p Yacht File:GEA 3rup Yacht.jpg|1908 3r Yacht watermarked 
 * In 1890-91, German stamps were used provisionally, cancelled at various offices including Tanga and Dar-es-Salaam.
 * In 1893, German eagle definitives were surcharged in pesa. Surcharges vary in widths slightly in up to four different settings.
 * In 1896, German eagle definitives were surcharged diagonally again in pesa.
 * In 1901, colonial Yacht keytypes were introduced on unwatermarked paper.
 * In 1905, Yachts denominated in heller were issued, also on unwatermarked paper.
 * In 1905-19, watermarked Yachts were issued.

Other
 File:GEA 50pf Schulke and Mayr.jpg|50c Schülke and Mayr reprint File:GEA 7.5h local print.jpg|7½ heller provisional. Most of the issue are toned and somewhat brittle. 
 * Schülke and Mayr ran a private delivery service, issuing five stamps in 1892, perf 11½. Reprints exist perf 10¾.
 * In 1915, typeset provisional stamps were printed but never issued, hidden until 1922 then sold at auction.

Belgian occupation
After the outbreak of World War I, Belgian forces crossed from the Belgian Congo and occupied Ruanda and Urundi in mid-1916.  File:GEA RUANDA ovpt.jpg|1916 RUANDA. overprint File:GEA URUNDI ovpt.jpg|1916 URUNDI. overprint File:GEA EST occup.jpg|1916 15c overprint File:GEA AO occup.jpg||1918 15c+20c value 
 * In 1916, Belgian Congo stamps were handstamped RUANDA. for use there.
 * In 1916, Belgian Congo stamps were also handstamped URUNDI..
 * Later, Belgian Congo stamp were overprinted EST AFRICAIN ALLEMAND / OCCUPATION BELGE. / DUITSCH OOST AFRIKA / BELGISCHE BEZETTING.
 * With the end of Warld War I, Belgian occupied areas were awarded to Belgium, becoming their colony of Ruanda-Urundi.
 * In 1918, Belgian Congo semipostals were overprinted A. O. ("Afrique Orientale").
 * In 1922, the previous overprints were sucharge with new values.

British occupation
In 1916, British forces in three major groups entered German East Africa and held much of the north.  File:GEA NF ovpt.jpg 
 * In 1916, Nyasaland Protectorate stamps were overprinted N.F. ("Nyasaland Force") for regions held by those troops.
 * In 1917, East Africa and Uganda stamps were overprinted G.E.A.
 * At the end of World War I, Great Britain took most of the former German East Africa, renamed Tanganyika.