Colonization of Africa

Africa: A Century of Violence

(Colonization to Modern-day)

Africa is a nation overcome by conflict and controversy, but why is this? Supposing Africa has had just as many opportunities as other continents to further their socioeconomic status, why is it that most news out of that region is engulfed in death and destruction? Though there are a multitude of reasons why Africa has been a nation of turmoil in recent history, to get a better understanding of why Africa is so violent, one must first look at the history of Africa. In particular, how colonization divided the nation, leading to many of its current issues. After that it is clear that the current crisis in Africa stems form a wide variety of sources, but the underlining causes that keep war thriving in the region are due to: economic and political instability, clashes over natural resources, and ethnic tension.

Prior to 1885 Africa was a predominantly independent nation. Individual tribes that had been established in the region for centuries dominated most of the African frontier. These tribes co-existed within the continent, established community’s central to their being, and interacted frequently. It was not until the Portuguese arrived in Africa in the mid 1400’s that European nations became interested in the region. The Portuguese sought to find a more effective route to trade for the riches of the West Indies. They discovered that by sailing around the southern most tip of Africa they could substantially decrease the amount of time needed to reach the metals, and spices that drove their trade. Portuguese merchants began to establish trade posts on the African coasts, and even became friendly with the indigenous people. In fact, many of these Portuguese merchants ended up marrying native African women. Even with the strong connection many merchants had with the locals, the friendliness between Africa and Europe didn’t last long. Once Europe became aware of the vast natural resources that...