Why Was Africa Colonised - 1882 Words

Why was Africa colonised in the years 1870-1914? The Colonization of Africa was due to a wide range of factors, not only economic and political but also for social, religious, humanitarian and technological reasons, which differed from country to country. Africa’s diplomatic, strategic and material potential led European Powers to seize the opportunity to exploit a new continent. During a period between 1870 and 1914, where the continent of Africa was completely annexed by the leading European powers: Britain, France, Germany, Portugal and Italy, leaving just two countries with independence: Ethiopia and Liberia. The interest in Africa begun before 1870. Britain and France were the first European powers to show interest in Africa’s†¦show more content†¦Britain occupied Egypt in 1882 to ensure that the Suez Canal was protected from any rivals, as it was fundamental in trading with India. Likewise, Cape Colony was occupied to ensure it remained under British control. The western coast of Africa provided strate gic locations for securing trade for other European nations, and places for refuelling navies. Secondly, expansion into Africa provided an opportunity not just to maintain and protect trade routes, but also to create new ones that ran throughout Africa. Britain wanted to establish a trade route that ran from Cape Colony to the Suez Canal, and they therefore needed to colonise countries that lay in-between. The ‘scramble for Africa’ can be seen as based partly on the desire to gain strategic locations within the country that would enhance and secure trade with the rest of the world, and again bring economic advantages. This factor also explains to some extent why there was a ‘scramble’, as each European country wanted to ensure that they acquired the countries that would help their trade, before another European power had the chance. It was a widely held belief in Europe, that imperialism could help ease political and domestic tensions, reflected when Cecil Rhodes said: ‘if you want to avoid civil war, you must be an imperialist’ . This can be seen as a motive for gaining colonies in Africa therefore. In Germany, social unrest loomed as a result of growingShow MoreRelatedThe Following Three Concepts Describe How the World Has Been Divided According to the Levels of Development. Discuss the Origins and Validity of These Concepts: Third World/South, North (West/First World), Development1524 Words   |  7 Pagesworld and first world will be named. Factors affecting the development in the third world will be identified. Third world/South , North (West/First world) and Development Third World /South countries are the developing countries. Third world was a term originally used to distinguish nations that were involved during the cold war. 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