The Colonization of Africa | The European Scramble For Africa Lesson
The colonization of Africa was the process by which European nations established colonies in the continent. Some African leaders agreed to treaties with the colonizers, but others saw no value in doing so. In some cases, military force was used against those who refused to submit to colonial rule. A map of colonized African territories illustrates the changes in borders caused by colonialism. European nations created boundaries for African countries without taking into account the local political systems and ethnic groups.
European colonizers primarily focused on exporting goods and paid little attention to local development. They shifted local communities' farming practices to produce crops destined for European markets. They also built rail lines to transport resources from the interior to coastal ports but did not develop regional links. While colonizers were trying to export goods, they failed to provide local communities with the necessary resources to support themselves.
In the nineteenth century, European countries began to settle in Africa. Initially, only about 10% of the continent was under European control, but in the twentieth century, nearly 90% of the continent was under the control of European nations. This process, known as the "scramble of Africa," resulted in the division of African land into many smaller regions.
During the colonial era, many resource-rich countries were targeted by rival powers. They were exploited for raw materials, and many of the countries had long-lasting civil wars. In the decades following, these countries were dependent on exports and commodity-based economies, which were susceptible to political instability. As a result, colonization of Africa had a profound impact on African societies. It was also a catalyst for a number of political and cultural changes.
Although colonialism was relatively short-lived, the effects on Africa remain negative. In human societies, power is the ultimate determinant of relations within and between groups. It determines how maneuverable a group can be in negotiations and the degree of respect and survival among people. Losing power during colonization is one of the causes of underdevelopment.
Moreover, colonization stunted the physical development of the African people by creating chronic undernourishment and malnutrition. During this time, bourgeois propaganda conditioned Africans to think that malnutrition was natural. An Oxfam poster pictured a black child with a transparent rib cage and a bloated stomach.
A colonial town is a city with an administrative and industrial base. In addition to being the city's center of industry and administration, these towns attracted large numbers of Africans. The colonizers offered jobs based on unskilled and irregular labor. The result was a society that was not able to build its own productive base.
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