How Did Europeans Control Africa

In the 1800's Europeans controlled a very small portion of Africa because of many reasons. The powerful African armies were able to keep Europeans out of Africa for over 400 years because it was almost impossible for Europeans to travel to the interior parts of Africa. Disease was spreading through Africa which slowed down European control. Rivers were another factor why Europeans didn't control much of Africa. They couldn't find their way around the African rivers because of the rapids, cataracts, and changing flows. There were also over 1,000 languages spoken in Africa and they had many ethnic groups and villages that were spread out through large empires. There were many aspects that made European travel difficult. African armies were very strong. They kept Europeans out for over 400 years, and once they did break through they only got ahold of 10% Africa's land. In the 1800's there was disease spreading through Africa, which made it very hard for

The French changed many aspects in Africa to try to make it like the French things. All schools, courts, businesses, and more all followed the same policy's as French schools, courts, and businesses. The French thought the way they lived was ideal. So, the only way to have Africa function correctly was to have their institutions mock French institutions. In practice the French completely disregarded assimilation and settled for association. It's kind of like indirect control. They let Africans keep their institutions as they were as well as their culture but they still thought as them as lower than French ways. In association they didn't change African ways but they didn't exactly except them. To the French, African ways were lower in quality than French ways. But, in assimilation they completely changed African ways and practices into how the French would do