1. The Berlin Conference

2. COLONIALISM IN AFRICA
In the 1880’s, European interest in African territories heightened.
It was obvious everyone was trying to get a “piece of the pie.”

3. The Treaty of Berlin in the 1880’s “divided” Africa among European powers.
Tribal boundaries of Africa

4. Tribal boundaries of Africa
Political boundaries today

6. The British and French controlled the largest empire.

7. By the 1950’s, the Europeans had lost the will and financial resources to hold onto their colonies.
They set withdrawal dates and just “left” without much thought given to the infrastructure they left behind.
Landlocked countries

8. The borders of the countries of Africa have created several major problems that can be attributed to the Geography of the current borders.
Colonialism destroyed many of Africa’s indigenous ruling bodies, and their cultural traditions.
Ethnicity (tribes)
Religion
Languages
Resources
Transportation
Borders

9. Even if landlocked countries have river access to the ocean, all of Africa’s major rivers have waterfalls and rapids that prohibit large ship traffic.

10. Conflicts since the 1990’s. Rwanda
Civil War in Ethiopia (won by Eritreans)
Civil War in Liberia
Civil War in Sierra Leone
Ethnic conflict in Kenya (recently)
Civil War in Uganda
Rwanda
Civil War in Congo (ongoing)
Sudan (Southern Sudan and Darfur)
Collapse of the government in Somalia

11. If so much conflict is caused by the borders left behind by the Europeans, why can’t the countries work together to “re-draw” those boundaries?
In most cases, the people and groups in power now don’t want to risk losing that power or the possibility of widespread chaos.

12. Gdp cartogram of Arica

13. Desertification AIDS Malaria Poverty Internal wars Debt Famine
Issues facing Sub-Saharan Africa today:
Desertification
AIDS
Malaria
Poverty
Internal wars
Debt
Famine

14. And the biggest shatterbelt of all……

15. Many of the issues of Africa today are still laid at the footprint of European Colonialism, which ended in the 1960’s.
Is there a “statute of limitations” on blame?
What does the future hold for the countries of Africa?