Berlin Conference

The Berlin Conference (or "Congo Conference") of 1884–85 made rules for European colonization and trade in Africa. It was called for by Portugal and organised by Otto von Bismarck. The conference met during the Scramble for Africa, a time with more colonial activity by European powers. Africans were not invited to the conference, which ended most existing forms of African autonomy and self-governance and ensured that the European powers would not have one another for dominance.

The General Act fixed the following points:

• The ending of slavery by black and Islamic powers.
• The Congo Free State was a private property of the Congo Society. The territory of today's Democratic Republic of the Congo was made the property of King Leopold II of Belgium.
• The 14 countries that signed had free trade through the Congo Basin and Lake Nyasa and east of it in the area south of 5° N.
• The Niger River and the Congo River were made free for ship traffic.
• Countries could not set up colonies in name only.
• If a country took over any new part of the African coast, it had to tell the other countries.
• Each country was told the parts of Africa that it could take over.^[1]

• Portugal - United Kingdom The colonies of Angola and Mozambique were brought together by the land in between (the land later became Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi). The United Kingdom did not support the plan. In 1890, the British government told the Portuguese to leave the area.

• France - United Kingdom A line running from Say in Niger to Baroua, on the north-eastern coast of Lake Chad, marked what part belonged to which country. France would own territory to the north of the line, and the United Kingdom would own territory to the south of it. The Nile Basin would be British, with the French taking the basin of Lake Chad.

• France - Germany The area to the north of a line formed by the intersection of 14° E and Miltou would be French, and the area to the south would be German.

• Britain - Germany The separation between British Nigeria and German Cameroon would be in the form of a line passing through Yola, on the Benoué, Dikoa, going up to the extremity of Lake Chad.

• France - Italy Italy was to own what was north of a line from the intersection of the Tropic of Cancer and 17° E to the intersection of 15° N and 21° E.

By 1902, 90% of all African land was under European control.