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Berlin Conference Berlin Conference The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 resulted in the division of the African continent among European imperialist powers. The conference, which was dominated by France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Portugal, remapped the continent without consideration of established indigenous cultural and linguistic borders, which created a legacy of interethnic strife and political fragmentation that can still be seen today. By the mid-19th century, the African coast was largely colonized, and competition between the European colonists often led to violent conflict. German chancellor Otto von Bismarck called the conference in 1884 at the request of Portugal. The meeting was held in Berlin, Germany from November 15, 1884, to February 26, 1885. In addition to the four dominating nations, Bismarck also invited diplomats representing Austria-Hungary, Russia, the United States, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden-Norway (the two nations were joined from 1814 to 1905), Belgium, and Turkey. The meeting was called because there was confusion among colonialist nations regarding borders. A primary goal was to agree that the Congo River and Niger River mouths and basins would be neutral and freely used to further trade. Bismarck also sought to negotiate borders and gain control of the uncolonized interior regions of the continent while making Germany's foes struggle for territory. At the time, 80% of Africa was traditionally controlled at the local level by more than 1,000 different indigenous cultures. At the end of the Berlin Conference, only two states in Africa were recognized as independent by the European powers: Ethiopia and Liberia. The remainder of the African continent was divided between the rule of the French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, and U.K. governments, while the vast territory of the so-called Congo Free State (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) was privately owned by a corporation led by King Leopold II of Belgium. The United Kingdom lay claim to Gambia, Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast (now western Ghana), and Nigeria in West Africa; Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and "British Somaliland" (now northwestern Somalia) in East Africa; the vast majority of southern Africa, including South Africa, Basutoland (Lesotho), Swaziland, Bechuanaland (Botswana), Rhodesia (Zimbabwe and Zambia), and Nyasaland (Malawi); as well as the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) in the Indian Ocean. It also controlled Egypt, though it technically remained under Turkish sovereignty. France established itself as the continent's other preeminent colonial power, coming away with a large contiguous area of western and central Africa that included modern Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria; Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Dahomey (now Benin), and Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso); and Chad, Ubangi-Shari (now the Central African Republic), Gabon, and Middle Congo (now the Congo Republic). It also claimed "French Somaliland" (now Djibouti) in East Africa and the Comoro Islands, Madagascar, and Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Germany took Tanganyika (now mainland Tanzania), Ruanda-Urundi (Rwanda and Burundi), Cameroon, Togoland (now Togo and eastern Ghana), and Southwest Africa (Namibia). Portugal took Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Cabinda (now a single state), Mozambique, and Cape Verde, while Italy took Libya, Eritrea, and "Italian Somaliland" (now eastern Somalia). The final player, Spain, came away with the least gain, controlling only Río Muni and Fernando Po (now Equatorial Guinea), Western Sahara (now occupied by Morocco), and a number of small territories still under Spanish rule to this day, including the Canary Islands and the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. The arbitrary boundaries imposed by the conference wreaked havoc on Africa by dividing cultures and bringing together enemies. The effects of the conference can still be seen through the political fragmentation and ethnic violence that plagues the continent even decades after most of Africa achieved independence. Select Citation Style: MLA "Berlin Conference." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. .
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