Which region was most affected by decisions made at the berlin conference of 1884?

The Berlin Conference was described by Harm J. de Bli in "Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts:"

"The Berlin Conference was Africa's undoing in more ways than one. The colonial powers superimposed their domains on the African continent. By the time independence returned to Africa in 1950, the realm had acquired a legacy of political fragmentation that could neither be eliminated nor made to operate satisfactorily."

Purpose of the Berlin Conference

In 1884, at the request of Portugal, German chancellor Otto von Bismark called together the major western powers of the world to negotiate questions and end confusion over the control of Africa. Bismark appreciated the opportunity to expand Germany's sphere of influence over Africa and hoped to force Germany's rivals to struggle with one another for territory.

At the time of the conference, 80 percent of Africa remained under traditional and local control. What ultimately resulted was a hodgepodge of geometric boundaries that divided Africa into 50 irregular countries. This new map of the continent was superimposed over 1,000 indigenous cultures and regions of Africa. The new countries lacked rhyme or reason and divided coherent groups of people and merged together disparate groups who really did not get along.

Which region was most affected by decisions made at the berlin conference of 1884?

ThoughtCo / Adrian Mangel

Countries Represented at the Berlin Conference

Fourteen countries were represented by a plethora of ambassadors when the conference opened in Berlin on November 15, 1884. The countries represented at the time included Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway (unified from 1814 to 1905), Turkey, and the United States of America. Of these 14 nations, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal were the major players in the conference, controlling most of colonial Africa at the time.

Berlin Conference Tasks

The initial task of the conference was to agree that the Congo River and Niger River mouths and basins would be considered neutral and open to trade. Despite its neutrality, part of the Congo Basin became a personal kingdom for Belgium's King Leopold II. Under his rule, over half of the region's population died.

At the time of the conference, only the coastal areas of Africa were colonized by the European powers. At the Berlin Conference, the European colonial powers scrambled to gain control over the interior of the continent. The conference lasted until February 26, 1885 — a three-month period where colonial powers haggled over geometric boundaries in the interior of the continent, disregarding the cultural and linguistic boundaries already established by the indigenous African population.

Following the conference, the give and take continued. By 1914, the conference participants had fully divided Africa among themselves into 50 countries.

Major colonial holdings included:

  • Great Britain desired a Cape-to-Cairo collection of colonies and almost succeeded through their control of Egypt, Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan), Uganda, Kenya (British East Africa), South Africa, and Zambia, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), and Botswana. The British also controlled Nigeria and Ghana (Gold Coast).
  • France took much of western Africa, from Mauritania to Chad (French West Africa), as well as Gabon and the Republic of Congo (French Equatorial Africa).
  • Belgium and King Leopold II controlled the Democratic Republic of Congo (Belgian Congo).
  • Portugal took Mozambique in the east and Angola in the west.
  • Italy's holdings were Somalia (Italian Somaliland) and a portion of Ethiopia.
  • Germany took Namibia (German Southwest Africa) and Tanzania (German East Africa).
  • Spain claimed the smallest territory, which was Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni).

Source

De Bli, Harm J. "Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts." Peter O. Muller, Jan Nijman, 16th Edition, Wiley, November 25, 2013.

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Terms in this set (48)

what statement reflects an effect of imperialism in africa?

natural resources were exploited for the benefit of European powers

the 19th-century term ''white man's burden'' reflects the idea that

europeans had a responsibility to improve the lives of their colonial peoples

What was the major reason European nations competed for control of Africa during the second half of the 1800s?

Africa had a wealth of natural resources

many of the political divisions were directly related to the

Berlin conference

the white man's burden is closely associated with the belief that it was the duty of western colonial powers to

civilize the people they controlled

which situation was a result of the 1884 Berlin Conference?

Africa was divided without regard to ethnic groups

what statement would social darwinists most likely support?

stronger groups have the right to rule and control weaker groups.

what slogan would reflect the point of view of Cecil Rhodes?

''Imperialism is a glorious pursuit.''

the theory of social darwinism was sometimes used to justify

European imperialism in the late 19th century

Which reign was most affected by decisions made at the Berlin Conference of 1884?

Africa

which african group centralized its rule and adopted new military techniques that challenged the power of the british and the boers in south africa

Zulu

which area of the world was most directly affected by the decisions made at the Berlin Conference?

Africa

The Berlin Conference in 1884 was significant because it

established rules for the european division of Africa

the terms spheres of influence, extraterritoriality, and mandates are most closely associated with

imperialism

which cultures fought with the Zulus in the 19th century over the control of land in South Africa?

British and Boer

the words in the white man's burden is used to support the practice of

imperialism

Which description best fits the kingdoms of Ghana and Songhai?

trading states of West Africa

both the french and the british were interested in controlling egypt in the mid-19th century because egypt had

a strategic location

what countries were imperialized?

Africa, India, china, japan,

in china the opium war led to the

treaty of nanjing

india had the biritish

east india company

what revolution did india have?

sepoy revolution

who nonviolently fought for independence in india?

Ghandi

in japan the meiji restoration is adopting

western ideas(westernization)

did japanese imperialized others?

yes

japan was a ________ governed by the______

feudal society
Tokugawa Shogun(warrior rule)

japan is isolated from outsiders through

closed ports

in 1853 ____ arrive in japan's edo harbor

gunboats

what did commodore perry force the japanese to do?

to open their ports to foreign trade or be fired upon

the treaty of kanagawa was signed when

japan gave up at the sign of such overwhelming forces

during the meiji restoration who was japans young emperor?

Mutsuhito

mutsuhito appealed to japans

strong sense of pride and nationalism

when did mutsuhito rule?

after the shogunate ended

what were meiji goals

to create a rich nation and strong army.
universal compulsory education.
military conscription-draft.
industrial and economic reforms- technology.
development of new legal system and new constitution. sent men to learn ''best of the west'' to learn what Europe knew

japan modernized and

industrialized quickly- built railroad and factories

through negotiation the foreign nations

gave up their extraterritorial policies in japan in 1894

sino-japanese war

china vs japan and they fought over korea(an important trading are and ally)

japans win during the sino-japanese war

stunned european powers

during the japanese imperialism russia and japan were now

the powers of asia

during the japanese imperialism japan captured most of the russian

fleet and destroyed the baltic fleet too

in 1950 a peace treaty negotiated by

american president theordore roosevelt gave japan more territories and made russia withdraw from

the japanese were harsh rulers of korea they,

they closed newspapers, outlawed public protest, stopped teaching teaching korean history, took land fromkorean farmers and gave it to japanese nationals, japanese started factories in korea

imperialism at its worst and japan continued throughout

asia-china, manchuria and the pacific islands. this set the stage for war.

results of the boxer rebellion in china

china was forced to allow foreign troops on chinese soil and other religions as well

extraterritoriality

westerners accused of a crime in china would be sent back to their home country to be tried in their own courts

british sells opium which starts the

opium war

during the opium war the

british defeated the chinese

reults of the opium war is

the emperor agreed to pay for the opium that had been destroyed. britain was given control of hong kong

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What area was most affected by the Berlin Conference?

While all of Africa was greatly impacted by the Berlin Conference, the interior of the continent was perhaps most affected.

What countries were affected by the Berlin Conference?

The countries represented at the time included Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway (unified from 1814-1905), Turkey, and the United States of America.

What was the Berlin Conference of 1884 and what region of the world was most affected?

Known as The Berlin Conference, they sought to discuss the partitioning of Africa, establishing rules to amicably divide resources among the Western countries at the expense of the African people. Of these fourteen nations at the Berlin Conference, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal were the major players.

What was the effect of the Berlin Conference in 1884?

The conference contributed to ushering in a period of heightened colonial activity by European powers, which eliminated or overrode most existing forms of African autonomy and self-governance.