8/10/2019 Berlin Conference of 1884

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Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 to Divide

Africa

The Colonization of the Continent by European Poer!

By Matt Rosenberg, About.com Guide

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geography

africa

berlin conference

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National GeographicPhoto-filled articles of discovery, culture, animals, andevents.NationalGeographic.com

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Berlin*onference Room Berlin&otel Berlin GermanyBerlin to BerlinBerlin 3nder0orld45he Berlin *onference 2as Africa6s undoing in more 2ays than one. 5he colonialpo2ers superimposed their domains on the African continent. By the time independencereturned to Africa in $789, the realm had ac:uired a legacy of political fragmentation thatcould neither be eliminated nor made to operate satisfactorily.4;

at the re:uest of Portugal, German chancellor tto von Bismar? called togetherthe ma@or 2estern po2ers of the 2orld to negotiate :uestions and end confusion over thecontrol of Africa. Bismar? appreciated the opportunity to epand Germany6s sphere ofinfluence over Africa and desired to force Germany6s rivals to struggle 2ith one another

for territory.

At the time of the conference, =9 of Africa remained under traditional and local control.0hat ultimately resulted 2as a hodgepodge of geometric boundaries that divided Africainto fifty irregular countries. 5his ne2 map of the continent 2as superimposed over theone thousand indigenous cultures and regions of Africa. 5he ne2 countries lac?ed rhymeor reason and divided coherent groups of people and merged together disparate groups2ho really did not get along.

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ourteen countries 2ere represented by a plethora of ambassadors 2hen the conferenceopened in Berlin on November $8, $==>. 5he countries represented at the time includedAustria-&ungary, Belgium, enmar?, rance, Germany, Great Britain, -$798D, 5ur?ey,and the 3nited +tates of America. f these fourteen nations, rance, Germany, Great

Britain, and Portugal 2ere the ma@or players in the conference, controlling most ofcolonial Africa at the time.

5he initial tas? of the conference 2as to agree that the *ongo River and Niger Rivermouths and basins 2ould be considered neutral and open to trade. espite its neutrality,part of the *ongo Basin became a personal ?ingdom for Belgium6s Eing 1eopold , the conferenceparticipants had fully divided Africa among themselves into fifty countries.

Ma@or colonial holdings included%

Great Britain desired a *ape-to-*airo collection of colonies and almost succeeded

though their control of !gypt, +udan CAnglo-!gyptian +udanD, 3ganda, Eenya

CBritish !ast AfricaD, +outh Africa, and Hambia, Himbab2e CRhodesiaD, andBots2ana. 5he British also controlled Nigeria and Ghana CGold *oastD. rance too? much of 2estern Africa, from Mauritania to *had Crench 0est

AfricaD and Gabon and the Republic of *ongo Crench !:uatorial AfricaD. Belgium and Eing 1eopold