Introduction

Missions of exploration of Africa in general date from backward years even before Christianity. The prominent explorers of this time were the Phoenicians, Greeks and Arabs. In the contemporary epoch, notably at the beginning of the 19^th century, Europe was not interested in Africa. However, it had some trading posts on the African coasts (the Gold Coast, Gambia, Sierra Leone, etc.) and rare population colonies in Algeria from 1830, in Senegal and in Cape Town.

The end of the 19^th century knew one of the most significant historical mutations of Black Africa. Whereas in 1879, more than 90% of the continent was still controlled by Africans, in 1900, it was completely under European powers. With an astonishing speed and disconcerting facility, the European countries occupied and dominated a vast continent of 28 millions km^2, primarily thanks to explorers.

What is in this block?

There are 4 sections in this block:

Section 1: The “discovery” of the “mysterious continent”

Section 2: The causes of the explorations

Section 3: Commercial and political rivalries

Section 4: The conference of Berlin

Estimated study time

We think that you will need 7 or 8 hours to do all the activities of this block.

Learning objectives

By the end of this block, you should be able to:

• name the different explorers of Africa;
• explain the causes of the explorations;
• discuss the commercial and political rivalries between the European powers;
• explain the important decisions taken at the Berlin conference.

How will I assess my learning in this block?

This block contains 4 activities. They are designed to help you to evaluate your progress in the study of the contents of the block.

After having studied each section of this module, do the activities, which are proposed to you. Compare then your answers with those, which are suggested at the end of the block. If you encountered difficulties, please review the section.

If difficulties persist, it is absolutely necessary to ask for assistance from a colleague or your tutor in the centre.