Which African country has never been colonized? Who knows whether all African countries were once colonized or whether there are those that were not colonized? Annexation of Madagascar by France

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Colonization of Africa

On the eve of European colonization, the peoples of Tropical and Southern Africa were at different stages of development. Some had a primitive system, others had a class society. It can also be said that in Tropical Africa a sufficiently developed, specifically Negro statehood did not develop, even comparable to the states of the Incas and Mayans. How can we explain this? There are several reasons, namely: unfavorable climate, poor soils, primitive agricultural technology, low level of work culture, fragmentation of a small population, as well as the dominance of primitive tribal traditions and early religious cults. In the end, highly developed civilizations: Christian and Muslim differed from African ones in more developed cultural and religious traditions, that is, a more advanced level of consciousness than that of Africans. At the same time, remnants of pre-class relations persisted even among the most developed peoples. The decomposition of tribal relations most often manifested itself in the exploitation of ordinary community members by the heads of large patriarchal families, as well as in the concentration of land and livestock in the hands of the tribal elite.

In different centuries, both during the Middle Ages and in modern times, various state formations arose in Africa: Ethiopia (Axum), which was dominated by the Christian Monophysite church; a kind of confederation called Oyo arose on the Guinea coast; then Dahomey; in the lower reaches of the Congo at the end of the 15th century. such state entities as Congo, Loango and Makoko appeared; in Angola between 1400 and 1500. A short-lived and semi-legendary political association, Monomotapa, emerged. However, all these proto-states were fragile. Europeans who appeared on the coast of Africa in the 17th-18th centuries. launched a large-scale slave trade here. Then they tried to create their own settlements, outposts and colonies here.

In southern Africa, near the cape Good Hope The site of the Dutch East India Company, Kapstadt (Cape Colony), was created. Over time, more and more immigrants from Holland began to settle in Kapstadt, who waged a stubborn struggle with local tribes, Bushmen and Hottentots. At the beginning of the 19th century. The Cape Colony was captured by Great Britain, after which the Dutch-Boers moved to the north, subsequently founding the Transvaal and Orange republics. European Boer colonists increasingly explored southern Africa, engaging in the slave trade and forcing the black population to work in gold and diamond mines. In the English zone of colonization, the Zulu tribal community led by Chaka in the first third of the 19th century. managed to consolidate and subjugate a number of Bantu tribes. But the clash of the Zulus, first with the Boers, and then with the British, led to the defeat of the Zulu state.

Africa in the 19th century became the main springboard for European colonization. By the end of this century, almost the entire African continent (with the exception of Ethiopia) was divided between Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Belgium. Moreover, the first place in the number of colonies and native population belonged to Great Britain, second to France (mainly north and south of the Sahara), third to Germany, fourth to Portugal and fifth to Belgium. But little Belgium inherited a huge territory (about 30 times larger than the territory of Belgium itself), the richest in its natural resources - the Congo.

European colonialists, having done away with the primary proto-state formations of African leaders and kings, brought here forms of a developed bourgeois economy with advanced technology and transport infrastructure. The local population, experiencing a cultural “shock” from meeting with a civilization that was fabulously developed at that time, gradually became familiar with modern life. In Africa, as well as in other colonies, the fact of belonging to one or another metropolis immediately manifested itself. So, if the British colonies (Zambia, Gold Coast, South Africa, Uganda, Southern Rhodesia, etc.) found themselves under the control of economically developed, bourgeois and democratic England and began to develop more quickly, then the population of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea (Bissau) belonging to the more backward Portugal, more slowly.

Colonial conquests were not always economically justified; sometimes the struggle for colonies in Africa looked like a kind of political sport - to bypass an opponent at all costs and not allow oneself to be bypassed. Secularized European thought during this period abandoned the idea of ​​​​spreading the “true religion” -Christianity, but she saw the civilizing role of Europe in the backward colonies in the spread of modern science and enlightenment. In addition, in Europe it became even indecent not to have colonies. This can explain the emergence of the Belgian Congo, German and Italian colonies, which were of little use.

Germany was the last to rush to Africa, but nevertheless managed to take possession of Namibia, Cameroon, Togo and East Africa. In 1885, on the initiative of German Chancellor Bismarck, the Berlin Conference was convened, in which 13 European countries took part. The conference established rules for the acquisition of still independent lands in Africa, in other words, the remaining unoccupied lands were divided. By the end of the 19th century, only Liberia and Ethiopia retained political independence in Africa. Moreover, Christian Ethiopia successfully repelled an Italian attack in 1896 and even defeated Italian troops in the Battle of Adua.

The division of Africa also gave rise to such a variety of monopolistic associations as privileged companies. The largest of these companies was the British South African Company, created in 1889 by S. Rhodes and which had its own army. The Royal Niger Company operated in West Africa, and the British East Africa Company operated in East Africa. Similar companies were created in Germany, France, and Belgium. These monopolistic companies were a kind of state within a state and turned African colonies with their population and resources into the sphere of complete subjugation. The richest African colony was South Africa, which belonged to Britain and Boer colonists from the Transvaal and Orange Republics, because gold and diamonds were found there. This led the British and Boers from Europe to start the bloody Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, in which the British won. The diamond-rich Transvaal and Orange republics became colonies of the British. Subsequently, in 1910, the richest British colony, South Africa, formed the British Dominion - the Union of South Africa.

The “economic civilization” of most of Africa (with the exception of the “river civilization” of the Nile Valley) had developed over thousands of years and by the time the region was colonized in the second half of the 19th century. changed very little. The basis of the economy was still slash-and-burn agriculture with hoe tillage.

Let us remember that this is the earliest type of agriculture, followed by plow farming (which, by the way, is not very widespread even at the end of the 20th century, which is hampered by the reasonable desire of local peasants to preserve a thin fertile layer of soil; a plow plowing to a fairly large depth , will do more harm than good).

Higher-level agriculture (outside the Nile Valley) was widespread only in Northeast Africa (in the territory of modern Ethiopia), West Africa and Madagascar.

Animal husbandry (mainly cattle breeding) was auxiliary in the economy of African peoples, and it became the main one only in certain areas of the mainland - south of the Zambezi River, among the nomadic peoples of North Africa.

Africa has long been known to Europeans, but was not of great interest to them.

Reserves of precious metals were not discovered here, and it was difficult to penetrate deep into the mainland. Up to late XVIII V. Europeans knew only the outlines of the coasts and river mouths, where strong trading posts were created and from where slaves were exported to America. Africa's role is reflected in geographical names, which gave white to certain sections of the African coast: Ivory Coast, Gold Coast, Slave Coast.

Until the 80s XIX century More than 3/4 of Africa's territory was occupied by various political entities, incl.

There were even large and strong states (Mali, Zimbabwe, etc.). European colonies were only on the coast.

And suddenly, within just two decades, all of Africa was divided between European powers. This happened at a time when almost all of America had already achieved political independence. Why did Europe suddenly become interested in the African continent?

The most important reasons are as follows

1. By this time, the mainland had already been quite well explored by various expeditions and Christian missionaries.

American war correspondent G. Stanley in the mid-70s. XIX century crossed the African continent with the expedition from east to west, leaving behind destroyed settlements. Addressing the British, G. Stanley wrote: “South of the mouth of the Congo River, forty million naked people are waiting to be clothed by the weaving factories of Manchester and provided with tools by the workshops of Birmingham.”

By the end of the 19th century. Quinine was discovered as a remedy for malaria. Europeans were able to penetrate deep into malarial territories.

By this time, industry in Europe began to develop rapidly, the economy was booming, and European countries were getting back on their feet. This was a period of relative political calm in Europe - there were no major wars. The colonial powers showed amazing “solidarity”, and at the Berlin Conference in the mid-80s. England, France, Portugal, Belgium and Germany divided the territory of Africa among themselves. Borders in Africa were “cut” without taking into account the geographical and ethnic characteristics of the territory.

Currently, 2/5 of African state borders run along parallels and meridians, 1/3 along other straight lines and arcs, and only 1/4 along natural boundaries that approximately coincide with ethnic boundaries.

By the beginning of the 20th century. all of Africa was divided between the European metropolises.

The struggle of the African peoples against the invaders was complicated by internal tribal conflicts; in addition, it was difficult to resist the Europeans, armed with the advanced rifled firearms invented by that time, with spears and arrows.

The period of active colonization of Africa began.

Unlike America or Australia, there was no mass European immigration. Throughout the African continent in the 18th century. there was only one compact group of immigrants - the Dutch (Boers), numbering only 16 thousand.

people (“Boers” from the Dutch and German word “bauer”, which means “peasant”). And even now, at the end of the 20th century, in Africa, the descendants of Europeans and children from mixed marriages make up only 1% of the population (This includes 3 million Boers, the same number of mulattoes in South Africa and one and a half million immigrants from Great Britain).

Africa has the most low level socio-economic development compared to other regions of the world.

According to all main indicators of economic development and social sphere the region occupies the position of a global outsider.

The most pressing problems of humanity are most relevant in Africa. Not all of Africa has such low indicators, but the few more fortunate countries are only “islands of relative prosperity” among poverty and acute problems.

Maybe Africa's problems are due to complex natural conditions, a long period of colonial rule?

Undoubtedly, these factors played their negative role, but others also acted alongside them.

Africa belongs to the developing world, which in the 60s and 70s.

demonstrated high rates of economic, and in certain areas and social development. In the 80-90s. the problems sharply worsened, the rate of economic growth decreased (production began to fall), which gave rise to the conclusion: “The developing world has stopped developing.”

However, there is a point of view that involves the identification of two close, but at the same time heterogeneous concepts: “development” and “modernization”.

Development in this case refers to changes in the socio-economic sphere caused by internal reasons, which lead to the strengthening of the traditional system without destroying it. Has Africa experienced a process of development of its traditional economy?

Of course yes.

In contrast to development, modernization is a set of changes in the socio-economic (and political) sphere caused by modern requirements outside world. In relation to Africa, this means expanding external contacts and its inclusion in the world system; T.

e. Africa must learn to “play by global rules.” Will this inclusion in modern world civilization destroy Africa?

One-sided, traditional development leads to autarky (isolation) and a lag behind world leaders.

Rapid modernization is accompanied by a painful breakdown of the existing socio-economic structure. The optimal combination is a reasonable combination of development and modernization and, most importantly, a gradual, step-by-step transformation, without catastrophic consequences and taking into account local specifics.

Modernization has an objective nature, and there is no way to do without it.

Colonies in Africa

The history of Africa goes back many millennia, and according to some scientific hypotheses, it was in Africa that the first people appeared, who subsequently multiplied and populated all other lands of our planet (well, except for Antarctica). So, if you believe these hypotheses, Africa is the cradle of humanity.

And it is not surprising that many people were drawn to this continent and returned, sometimes as explorers, missionaries, and sometimes as conquerors, such is our human nature.

The first European colonies in Africa began to appear at the beginning of the 15-16th century.

The British and French showed genuine interest in North Africa, and especially to one of the cradles of human civilizations - Egypt with its majestic pyramids and the mysterious Sphinx.

The Portuguese were the first to penetrate West Africa, creating their colonies there. Subsequently, representatives of other European countries also joined them: Holland, Belgium, Germany.

The greatest peak of colonialism in Africa occurred in the 19th century, so interesting fact: at the beginning of the century before last, only 10% of African territories were European colonies, but at the end of it, 90% (!) of African lands were already European colonies. Only two African countries managed to maintain full independence: Ethiopia and Eastern Sudan.

All other countries were under someone’s heel, so many countries of North Africa belonged to France: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, in each of them French dominance was established by force. For some other countries, such as, say, the already mentioned Egypt, there was even a desperate military struggle between France and England. The latter, too, was not against taking possession of this tasty morsel, but in Egypt the British had to meet a strong and talented enemy, the famous general Napoleon Bonaparte, who would soon become the French emperor, conquer all of Europe and reach all the way to Moscow.

Although further military defeats of Napoleon reduced the influence of France in North Africa, Egypt eventually fell to the British.

The Portuguese, thanks to their brave sailors and cartographers, were the first to reach West Africa, where they entered into numerous contacts with the local population and founded their colonies, the largest Portuguese colony in West Africa was Angola, a huge African country, whose area is several times larger than the area of ​​​​little Portugal.

The British also did not catch crows and, in addition to Egypt, founded many colonies, both in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa.

Subsequently, representatives of other European states also came to Africa: the Germans managed to capture part of the territory of West Africa: Cameroon, Togo and Namibia (the latter country still strongly resembles Germany with its cozy cities built by the Germans themselves).

Windhoek, Namibia

The Belgians, since by the time they arrived the African coast was already occupied by other Europeans, decided to move inland African continent, where they founded their colony in the country of Congo (Central Africa).

The Italians received lands in eastern Africa: the countries of Somalia and Eritrea became their colonies.

What attracted Europeans to Africa? First of all, numerous Natural resources, as well as human resources - that is, slaves, into which Europeans actively turned the local population. The slaves were then transported to the New World for hard labor on local sugar plantations.

In general, the slave trade is one of the darkest pages African history, about which there will be a separate article on our website.

Returning to colonialism, in addition to its clearly negative consequences, there were also some positive aspects.

European colonization of Africa and its consequences

So the Europeans brought a certain civilization and culture to Africa, they built cities, roads, Christian missionaries went along with the soldiers, who wanted to convert the local population to Christianity (whether it was Protestantism or Catholicism), they also did a lot to educate Africans, built schools taught African natives European languages ​​(primarily English, but also French, Spanish, Portuguese, German) and other sciences.

THE DECAY OF COLONIALISM

Everything comes to an end sooner or later, and so did colonialism in Africa, the decline of which began in the 60s of the last century.

It was at this time that active socio-political movements for the declaration of independence began in various African countries. In some places it is possible to gain independence peacefully, but in some places it was not without an armed struggle, as, say, in Angola, where a real war for independence took place against Portuguese rule, which, however, after that turned into a civil war between Angolans who were carried away by communist ideas (MPLA party) and those who wanted to build communism in Angola and the Angolans who did not like it, but that’s another story.

Also, the negative impact of colonialism after its collapse was that some newly created African countries contained culturally heterogeneous and even hostile populations.

Sometimes this led to real civil wars, as let’s say it was in Nigeria, a former British colony, where after the declaration of independence, the Ibo and Yoruba tribes, hostile to each other, found themselves in the same country. But again, that's another story...

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The history of Africa dates back thousands of years; it is from here, according to the scientific world, that humanity originated. And here many peoples returned, however, only in order to establish their dominance.

The proximity of the north to Europe led to the fact that Europeans actively penetrated the continent in the 15-16th century. Also the African West, at the end of the 15th century it was controlled by the Portuguese, they began to actively sell slaves from the local population.

The Spaniards and Portuguese were followed by other states from Western Europe: France, Denmark, England, Spain, Holland and Germany.

As a result of this, East and North Africa found themselves under European yoke; in total, more than 10% of African lands were under their rule in the mid-19th century. However, by the end of this century, the extent of colonization had reached more than 90% of the continent.

What attracted the colonialists? First of all, natural resources:

  • wild valuable trees in large quantities;
  • growing a variety of crops (coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugar cane);
  • precious stones (diamonds) and metals (gold).

The slave trade also gained momentum.

Egypt has long been drawn into the capitalist economy at the global level. After the Suez Canal was opened, England actively began to compete to see who would be the first to establish their dominance in these lands.

The English government took advantage of the difficult situation in the country, prompting the creation of an international committee to manage the Egyptian budget. As a result, an Englishman became the Minister of Finance, a Frenchman was in charge of public works. Then difficult times began for the population, which was exhausted from numerous taxes.

The Egyptians tried in various ways to prevent the creation of a foreign colony in Africa, but eventually England sent troops there to take over the country. The British were able to occupy Egypt by force and cunning, making it their colony.

France began the colonization of Africa from Algeria, where for twenty years it proved its right to rule by war. The French also conquered Tunisia with prolonged bloodshed.

Agriculture was developed in these lands, so the conquerors organized their own huge estates with vast lands on which Arab peasants were forced to work. Local peoples were convened to build facilities for the needs of the occupiers (roads and ports).

And although Morocco was a very important object for many European countries, it remained free for a long time thanks to the rivalry of its enemies. Only after strengthening power in Tunisia and Algeria did France begin to subjugate Morocco.

In addition to these countries in the north, Europeans began to explore southern Africa. There, the British easily pushed the local tribes (San, Koikoin) into uninhabited territories. Only the Bantu peoples did not submit for a long time.

As a result, in the 70s of the 19th century, the English colonies occupied the southern coast, without penetrating deep into the mainland.

The influx of people into this region is timed to coincide with the discovery in the river valley. Orange diamond. The mines became centers of settlements, and cities were created. Formed joint stock companies have always used the cheap power of the local population.

The British had to fight for Zululand, which was included in Natal. The Transvaal could not be completely conquered, but the London Convention implied certain restrictions for the local government.

Germany also began to occupy these same territories - from the mouth of the Orange River to Angola, the Germans declared their protectorate (southwest Africa).

If England sought to extend its power in the south, then France directed its efforts inland in order to colonize the continuous strip between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. As a result, the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Guinea came under French rule.

The British also owned some West African countries - mainly the coastal territories of the Gambia, Niger and Volta rivers, as well as the Sahara.

Germany in the west was able to conquer only Cameroon and Togo.

Belgium sent forces to the center of the African continent, so Congo became its colony.

Italy got some lands in northeast Africa - huge Somalia and Eritrea. But Ethiopia was able to repel the attack of the Italians; as a result, it was this power that was practically the only one that retained independence from the influence of Europeans.

Only two did not become European colonies:

  • Ethiopia;
  • Eastern Sudan.

Former colonies in Africa

Naturally, foreign ownership Almost the entire continent could not last long; the local population sought to gain freedom, since their living conditions were usually deplorable. Therefore, since 1960, the colonies quickly began to be liberated.

That year, 17 African countries became independent again, most of them former colonies in Africa of France and those that were under UN control. In addition to this, they also lost their colonies:

  • UK - Nigeria;
  • Belgium - Congo.

Somalia, divided between Britain and Italy, united to form the Somali Democratic Republic.

And although Africans mostly became independent as a result of mass desire, strikes and negotiations, in some countries wars were still fought to gain freedom:

  • Angola;
  • Zimbabwe;
  • Kenya;
  • Namibia;
  • Mozambique.

The rapid liberation of Africa from colonists led to the fact that in many established states geographical boundaries do not correspond to the ethnic and cultural composition of the population, and this becomes the reason for disagreements and civil wars.

And new rulers do not always comply with democratic principles, which leads to massive dissatisfaction and a deterioration of the situation in many African countries.

Even now in Africa there are such territories that are governed by European states:

  • Spain - Canary Islands, Melilla and Ceuta (in Morocco);
  • Great Britain - Chagos Archipelago, Ascension Islands, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha;
  • France - Reunion, Mayotte and Eparce islands;
  • Portugal - Madeira.
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Who knows whether all African countries were once colonized or whether there are those that were not colonized?

Ethiopia and Liberia were never colonies.

Ethiopia is the oldest Christian country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. Unlike other African countries, it was never colonized (although it survived the military occupation of Fascist Italy in 1936-1941).

The history of Liberia as a political entity begins with the arrival of the first black American settlers - Americo-Liberians, as they called themselves - to Africa - on the coast of which they founded a colony of “free men of color” in 1822 under the auspices of the American Colonization Society . The historical roots of the true Liberians define their identity, however, over time, various traditions of the indigenous peoples of Africa were borrowed, during the struggle for a foothold in Africa, and during the subsequent struggle for the expansion of territory and the subjugation of peoples.
On July 26, 1847, American settlers declared the independence of the Republic of Liberia. The settlers perceived the continent from which their ancestors were taken into slavery as a “promised land,” but did not seek to join the African community. Arriving in Africa, they called themselves Americans and, both the indigenous inhabitants and the British colonial authorities of neighboring Sierra Leone, were recognized as Americans.

In the second half of the 19th century, especially after 1885, the process of colonization of Africa acquired such a scale that it was called the “race for Africa”; Almost the entire continent (except for Ethiopia and Liberia, which remained independent) by 1900 was divided between a number of European powers: Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy; Spain and Portugal retained their old colonies and somewhat expanded them.