The Scramble for Africa refers to the period from the late 19th to the early 20th century when European imperial powers claimed control of most African territory. It is also used to describe the actions undertaken by those countries with the goals of expanding strategic territorial claims and securing access to valuable natural resources and trade routes. In the 1870s only 10 percent of African territory was controlled by European countries, but by 1914 about 90 percent of African territory had been incorporated into one European empire or another, including the land of every present-day country on the continent except Ethiopia and Liberia.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style