1. How did European partitioning affect Africa?
SS7H1a. Explain how the European partitioning across Africa contributed to conflict, civil war, and artificial political boundaries.

2. Berlin Conference Activity
Portugal- 4 countries (10%)
England – 14 countries (30%)
France – 12 countries (25%)
Belgium – 3 countries (5%)
Germany – 7 countries (14%)
Spain – 4 countries (7%)
Italy – 4 countries (7%)

3. Resources for Berlin Conference Activity

5. In previous years you learned about European exploration and colonization.

6. Why did the Europeans explore and colonize?
Gold
God
Glory

7. Scramble for Africa Map

8. What were the problems of the European partitioning of Africa?
This slide is to see what issues the students can come up with on their own before you go over the problems.

9. Use your graphic organizer to record important information.

10. European Partitioning of Africa: Why and How?
European countries recognized the vast wealth of natural resources in Africa and began to “scramble” to colonize valuable areas
In 1884, fourteen European countries met to establish rules for trade and territorial claims in Africa. No Africans were present.

11. European Partitioning of Africa: Why and How?
Europeans divided Africa with the desire to profit from Africa’s riches, not for the benefit of any Africans.
Artificial political boundaries were drawn with no respect for Africa’s internal boundaries or societies.

12. Impact of European Partitioning
European division of Africa caused conflict and destroyed many African traditions.
Many Europeans treated the Africans cruelly and tried to impose their way of life on them without considering African customs and beliefs.

13. Once African countries gained independence, they had a hard time establishing stable governments and keeping the boundaries set by Europe.
New African governments did not have experience governing or solving conflicts so force became a way to solve problems.

14. Example of the Impact of European Partitioning
The Tutsi and Hutu had lived as neighbors before Belgian colonization, but artificial boundaries merged them in to the country of Rwanda.
Once Rwanda gained its independence, civil war broke out between the Tutsi and Hutu. The Hutu army killed between 500,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsi.

15. Example of the Impact of European Partitioning
Belgium treated the people in the Congo violently and the people gained their independence in 1960 to form the Republic of the Congo.
The new leaders did not have experience in government and conflict started which continues today among some groups.

16. Example of the Impact of European Partitioning
Conflict over diamonds have caused brutal wars in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

17. Summarizer: Describe the impact of European partitioning of Africa.