Scramble for Africa

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/scramble-for-africa

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the period of intense colonization?The Scramble for Africa primarily took place between 1881 and 1914
2. What is the motivations for imperialism?Economic (resources, markets), geopolitical (power, prestige), and ideological factors drove the colonization
3. Why did European countries want to take land in Africa?They needed raw materials like rubber, copper, diamonds, and cotton for factories, and they wanted new markets for their goods, plus national pride.
4. How did the Berlin Conference help decide who got which African land?The conference in 1884-1885 set rules, like "effective occupation," and drew borders without asking Africans, giving each country a piece of land.

New Imperialism: A phase of rapid colonial expansion by European powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Partition of Africa: The division of the African continent into colonies controlled by European powers during the Scramble.
Effective Occupation: A principle requiring European powers to demonstrate actual control and administration over claimed African territories.
Geopolitics: The study of how geography influences politics and international relations, often driving imperial ambitions.