COLONIALISM IN AFRICA

HISTORY -Africa has been the target of colonial expansion from its earliest days. -Numerous countries from numerous parts of the world have tried to divide up parts of Africa throughout history.

HISTORY 647- Islamic Umayyid Empire conquers Egypt and Sudan. This event triggers the spread of Islam in Africa 1479- Spain begins a slave trade in Africa 1550- Portugal establishes trade routes in Western Africa 1562- Britain begins exporting slaves from Africa 1570- Portugal establishes the colony of Angola in Africa 1625- Holland enters the slave trade 1642- France enters the slave trade 1652- Holland establishes a colony in South Africa 1759- British seize control of Dutch colony in South Africa Early 1800’s- Napoleon begins his conquest of Egypt and Sudan 1830- The Boers (of Dutch descent) begin to move north into the inner reaches of southern Africa 1871- The “Scramble for Africa” begins 1884- The Berlin Conference 1914- World War I begins 1939- World War II begins

THE BERLIN CONFERENCE -As the “Scramble for Africa” increased many of the European powers began to intrude into other European territories in Africa. -In 1884, a conference of European countries met in Berlin, Germany to try and reach an agreement on the partitioning of Africa -Representatives from Portugal, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) met

BEFORE EUROPEAN COLONIZATION

AFTER EUROPEAN COLONIZATION

LINGUA FRANCA -A common language that is agreed to be used by people who speak different languages -A universal language -In former European colonies some common lingua franca languages include English, French, and Portuguese -The most common lingua franca in Africa today is Swahili

WORLD WAR I 1914-1918 -European colonial expansion reaches its peak -Big powers in Africa include Great Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain -Due to all the battlefield losses that the major powers sustain during the war Africans begin to not see the European colonizers as invincible -Independence movements begin

WORLD WAR II 1939-1945 -Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy try to retake and expand colonial lands in Africa -One of the major fronts during World War II is fought in northern Africa -As the major world powers are occupied with the war more and more African countries decide to declare independence from their colonizers ALLIES AXIS

END OF COLONIZATION -After World War II most countries in Africa establish their own independence and their own governments -African colonies granted complete autonomy after World War II by the Atlantic Charter (signed by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill) -One by one the European powers begin to pull out their envoys and the African countries gain their complete independence

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