Scramble for Africa

The Scramble for Africa describes the competition between European imperial powers to first control trade and then territory in Africa in the final two decades of the 19th century. The reasons these powers were interested in Africa included its resources like ivory, gold, and palm oil, control of trade routes, and the prestige of possessing a global empire. Additional motivations included the desire to spread Christianity and what Europeans called 'civilisation.' The dominant powers in the scramble were Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, and Italy.