Africa Before Colonization and the Berlin Conference

What was the primary reason for the Berlin Conference of 1884?

What was the state of land ownership in Africa before European colonization?

How did European explorers impact African territories in the 1800s?

What was the Scramble for Africa?

Who was not included in the discussions at the Berlin Conference?

What does the use of dotted lines on the map of Africa indicate?

What feelings does the cartoonist portray regarding the Berlin Conference?

What major action did the European countries take towards Africa in the 1880s?

What did the representatives do during the Berlin Conference?

What prompted the increase in European interest in Africa during the mid-1800s?

Africa Before European Colonization

African people moved freely, land was communal, and resources were shared.
Some groups had leaders (chiefs/kings) who made decisions with council advice.
Forms of government varied, from hunter-pastoral groups to kingdoms and empires.
Defined borders between different kingdoms, states, and empires did not exist.

The Berlin Conference 1884

Little exploration of Africa occurred until the mid-1800s.
There was coastal trade, but the interior was largely ignored.
The Dutch settled in the Cape area.
The Dutch moved into the interior in 1830s.
The Belgian king sent explorers to the Congo region in 1876.
France started railway building and joined Great Britain in taking control of Egypt.
European interest in Africa increased in the 1880s, leading to the Scramble for Africa.
European explorers forced African leaders out of regions, creating borders.
The German Prime Minister (Otto von Bismarck) organized a conference.
Representatives from European countries (France, Britain, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Belgium) met in Berlin.
The countries divided Africa among themselves.
Africans were neither consulted nor included in the decision-making process.
The conference lasted from November 1884 to February 1885.

Map Analysis

The pre-colonial map shows territories controlled by various African groups.
Dotted lines show divisions were made for the colonies.
The map doesn't resemble today's African map as there were no defined borders.

Explore the dynamics of Africa before European intervention, focusing on community structures, governance, and the impact of the Berlin Conference in 1884. Understand how these events shaped the continent's history and led to the Scramble for Africa.