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Berlin Conference

Definition

The Berlin Conference was a meeting held in 1884-85 where European nations agreed on rules for colonizing Africa. It led to the partitioning of Africa among these nations without any consideration for existing tribal systems or cultural differences.

Analogy

Think of the Berlin Conference as a group of friends dividing up a pizza, but instead of considering who likes which toppings, they just cut it into pieces and everyone takes what they get. In this case, the pizza is Africa and the friends are European countries.

Related terms

Scramble for Africa: This term refers to the rapid colonization of African territories by European powers during the late 19th century, which was formalized at the Berlin Conference.

Imperialism: This is a policy or ideology by which a nation extends its power by acquiring territory, either through direct territorial acquisition or through indirect methods of exerting control on the politics and economy of other areas.

Colonialism: This is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often establishing settlements and exploiting them economically.