Map Description

Historical map of Africa in 1870 and in 1910.


Illustrating

1870: The coloring shows possessions or independent European colonies of European Powers.

1910: The coloring shows the possessions of the different European Powers in 1910.
The independent African States are uncolored.

Comparing 1870 to 1910

Within this four-decade span from 1870 to 1910, Africa saw a dramatic escalation in European colonization efforts.

:: Situation in 1870 ::

By 1870, only about 10% of Africa was under formal European control. Most of this control was concentrated along the coastal regions, where European powers had established trading posts and small colonies. The interior of the continent remained largely unexplored and free from direct European influence.

The main colonial powers at this time included Britain, France, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Their interests were primarily focused on trade, particularly in commodities like palm oil, ivory, and slaves. The transatlantic slave trade was still active, contributing to the economic motivations for European presence.

African societies maintained much autonomy, with many kingdoms and empires operating independently. However, European explorers and traders began to penetrate deeper into the continent, leading to increasing tensions and conflicts with local populations.

:: Situation in 1910 ::

The Scramble for Africa is generally considered to have begun around 1870, a period of intense competition among European powers for territorial claims in Africa.

German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck convened the Berlin Conference that took place from November 15, 1884, to February 26, 1885. African representatives were not invited. The conference resulted in the signing of the General Act of Berlin, which sliced up the African continent among the Europeans.

By 1910, the landscape of African colonization had transformed dramatically. Approximately 90% of Africa was claimed by European powers, that often disregarding existing political structures and cultural boundaries.

The focus shifted from mere trade to full economic exploitation of resources. Infrastructure projects were initiated almost exclusively to benefit colonial interests.

Various resistance movements began to emerge as African societies pushed back against foreign domination. These movements laid the groundwork for future independence struggles.

Credits

University of Texas at Austin. From the Cambridge Modern History Atlas, 1912.

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