How Did European Imperialism Affect West Africa

Before 1880, European countries controlled a little of African continent. Africa was separated by the western, southern, north and the central parts of africa. Between 1880 and 1900 Africa was divided between Great britain, france, germany, belgium, italy, spain, and portugal under european rule. Before the 1800s Europeans had made money in the western parts of africa through slave trade. Early in the nineteenth century, the british had set up settlements in west Africa along the gold coast. The growing European presence in west Africa led to increasing tension with African governments in the area. Most african states were free and maintained their independence until, 1874, great britain annexed the west coastal states as the first british colony of gold coast. This left france in control of biggest part of western africa.

Europeans wanted to control the southern parts of africa to and soon they achieved this goal. European presence grow rapidly and soon in, 1865, the white population of the area had risen to about 200,000. Later in the 1880, British policy in south Africa was influenced by cecil Rhodes. And in 1910, the British created an independent union colony in south africa, which combined the old cape colony and the Boer republicans. Britsh later agreed that only whites could vote. Germany and Great Britain dominated the colonization of east africa. In 1885, Britain and Great Britain dominated the colonization of east Africa. Besides its control over the western part of Africa, Germany wanted to control colonies in East Africa. East Africa lay between the two British-controlled areas of South Africa and Egypt. Soon central African territories were added to europe’s lit of