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African Territory Before the Partition
Before the Scramble for Africa, Europe only ruled 10% of Africa, all of which were coastal areas. European countries searched for territory in Africa due to the fact that there wasn’t any space left for expansion in Europe. This was caused by the formation of Germany and Italy in 1871. Another factor that appealed Britain were the mineral-rich territories, such as the Transvaal, because this strategic location element was known to have gold. -
Berlin Conference
The partition of Africa began with the Berlin Conference (1884-1885) dividing up the continent amongst European countries in order to avoid war. During the partition, the Europeans did not take note of Africa’s own ethnical and political boundaries. Today, conflicts continue to arise in Africa because of the partition. -
African Territory After the Partition
When King Leopold of Belgium began sending emissaries to Africa, other European countries began obtaining African territory as well. Britain colonized more than 30% of Africa’s population. France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Spain were also the major colonizers of Africa. By 1900, Europeans controlled more than 90% of Africa. A strategic location element of great value that attracted countries was the major international waterway the Suez Canal. -
Current African States
In 1956, Tunisia became the first African country to gain independence. Since 2007, Africa has consistsed of 53 independent and sovereign states. The borders from the partition that resulted from colonialism and the scramble still exist though, and due to this violence, corruption, and instability are all present. -
Distribution of African Languages
Today, Africa is known to have over a thousand languages, most of them originating from Africa, and some from Europe. After colonialism, the majority of African countries appointed official languages that were not indigenous to the continent. English and French are the two major languages used for public communication such as government, education, and the media. Arabic, Portugese, Afrikaans, and Malagasy are non-native languages used by many Africans publically and privately.
