African Exploration. 1870-84
Traditionally the vast interior of Africa had been a realm off limits to Europeans. The many tropical diseases to be found there, mixed with the nearly impassable jungles, deserts and Savannahs had ensured that few ventured in. And even fewer returned. By 1870 the only large colonies to be found were the Cape colony, British occupied Egypt (Nominally under control of a native monarchy swearing loyalty to the Ottomans but due to the location of the Suez canal a British Protectorate) and French owned Algeria. Portugal and Spain did both hold minor outposts along the coast, but they were few and far between and very sparsely populated.
When medical advances led to the creation of drugs which could fight back the African diseases things began to change and soon explorers had begun to map the long blank interior of Africa. Explorers such as David Livingston, Henry Morton Stanley, Pierre de Brazza and others had crisscrossed the continent. They brought back not only maps of rivers, lakes and mountains, but also vast collections of newly discovered flora and fauna which brought attention to the unspoiled nature of the continents many ecosystems.
As important as the new knowledge of the landscape and animals to be found there however was the realization of the immense natural resources to be found. The presence of diamonds, gold, silver and other precious gems had been well known, but the sheer abundance of them was only then grasped. Coming as a pleasant surprise also was the numerous other resources to be found. Copper, Tin, Iron and other metals were just some of the materials European markets were hungry for.
It was not long before the governments and merchants of Europe were sending official expeditions into the heart of Africa. Followed shortly after by formal claims on the territory mapped. King Leopold the second of Belgium would send Stanley to map to congo region before declaring the creation of the Congo society (his own personal realm where millions of natives were to be slaughtered in vast rubber plantations)Known as the Congo free state from 1885 onwards. The state would eventually expand southward along the lualaba river. At the same time the Dutch explorer Paul van Dannse on behalf of the king was exploring northwards along the Limpopo river. To avoid the possibility of a shared border with the Belgians the Netherlands soon signed a treaty with Portugal recognizing Portuguese claims between the colonies of Mozambique and Angola, effectively separating Dutch and Belgian spheres of influence.
Berlin Conference 1884-85
As Africa was explored and opened up to Europeans for the first time there arose many conflicting claims on who owned what. As a result Portugal called for a conference to settle ownership of the continent. Surprisingly the newly united Germany offered to host such a conference in the capital city of Berlin. The conference saw delegates from a total of fourteen countries, not all of which held claims upon the continent, and established clear spheres of influence in Africa. Totally ignoring most local governments. In fact only Liberia and the Ethiopian empire would manage to maintain their independence. With the empire fighting a war with the Italians to preserve theirs.
Belgium
Officially the Belgian government did not own any territory in Africa. Rather the king of Belgium King Leopold claimed the majority of the Congo river basin for himself as the Congo free state. He claimed to be interested only in the establishment of civilization, however he king would use the free state as his own personal bank. Establishing vast rubber plantations and enslaving much of the population to work in them. Under his rule millions of Congolese would be killed, raped and mutilated. A favorite punishment if the workers did not meet their assigned quotas their hands would be cut off, leaving them no way to make a living. The Belgian government would eventually step in and strip Leopold of the Congo. Turning it into an official colony of the kingdom, under the control of the government. Schools, rail and foot roads and cities were built in what would soon become one of the more successful colonial ventures on the continent.
France
France managed to claim the largest chunk of Africa. They had invaded Tunisia under the pretext of an anti piracy intervention and expanded their holdings to the south and west as well. Claiming territory as far south as the north bank of the Congo, despite some protest from the Belgian king. In the western portion of their holdings the Niger was the backbone. Its waters served as the main means of transportation to the various forts built along its banks.
The Congo river served as the main means of transportation along the equatorial holdings, being shared with Belgium. The vast Sahara desert acted as a sharp divide for the French. Making travel from North Africa to the more tropical Equatorial and Central African holdings difficult to impossible. This led to the development of many ports along the Atlantic coast of French possessions.
Aside from Algeria and Tunisia the French were not interested in establishing large settler colonies and contented themselves with a few small settlements of Frenchmen to oversee the mines and farms established in the interior. Much of the land was owned by large corporations which exploited the land for its mineral wealth.
Germany
In part due to their hosting the conference, but also due to shrewd negotiations the German empire managed to secure for its self the second largest share of Africa. Germany split their empire into Kamerun, East Africa, South west Africa, Somaliland and West Africa. While large swathes of land were under the control of private corporations the Germans did show a significant interest in establishing large settler colonies, though the climate in the colonies themselves led to very little interest from the German people.
Italy
Unlike any other nation which partook in the conference Italy held to prior claims to the continent. However after much diplomatic maneuvering they managed to secure control of a narrow strip of land wedged between German and British Somaliland. This small colony would not be enough to end the Italian appetite for land and they would attempt to annex Ethiopia in the 1890s, only to be repulsed by viscous resistance from the Ethiopians. Still eager for land they would try again, fighting a much more successful war with the Ottoman empire which would lead to Italy gaining control of Libya and de facto control over the Dodecanese islands from the crumbling edifice which was the Ottoman empire. It was soon discovered that the lands Italy held were rather worthless. Poor in resources and far to hot for colonists not much was done with either Somaliland or Libya for many years.
Ottoman Empire
Unlike others the Ottoman empire had traditionally held a large empire in Africa. Stretching from Algeria to Armenia the empire had its height had included parts of Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt. However that age was past and by the time of the conference the Sultan could claim only territory in Libya. A practically worthless colony which was soon taken by the Italians in the most recent in a string of humiliating wars with European powers.
Portugal
Once upon a time Portugal had lain claim to the much of of Africa. The great king Henry the Navigator had sent numerous expeditions out from Lisbon. And as a result numerous forts and trading outpost had been built to allow for the trading of European trinkets, guns, alcohol and beads, with native princes in exchange for slaves to work the sugar plantations in far off Brazil.
However this vast empire had been simply to large for little Portugal to hold onto and by 1870 only small settlements along the coast were still held. This changed during the conference. With the backing of the Dutch and indifference of the British Portugal managed to secure for itself a continent straddling strip of land with ends in both the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Soon all manner of miners, prospectors and missionaries arrived and began to tame the land and exploit its resources. Later, in the thirties and forties major attempts were made to establish large settlements of Portuguese to further cement the hold on the region.
The colonies are divided into Angola, Mozambique and Zambezia each with its own governor.
Spain
Following the end of the Napoleonic wars the Spanish empire had crumbled, leaving only isolated colonies in the Philippines and Caribbean belonging to the Spanish crown. The government in Madrid saw the Conference as a means of regaining some of the lost prestige and improving Spain's fortunes in the coming century. Spanish diplomats managed to secure control of Morocco and the western Sahara from the eager hands of both France and Germany, neither of whom Britain was eager to see possessing land so close to the straits of Gibraltar.
The local ruler of Morocco was allowed to remain in power provided he paid taxes, did not interfere with Spanish affairs, and kept his people in line. On the whole that was the end of Spain`s interference in the region. A few mines and settlements were attempted, and a few even thrived and prospered in the harsh desert sun. But most withered away within a few years leaving the region largely free of Catholic churches and the Spanish tongue. A very light rule for a nation which had taken the new world by force.
United Kingdom
Like the French British negotiators had worked to enlarge existing territories in the Berlin conference. Chief among their concerns being the safety of the Suez canal. As a result a protectorate was established over the existing government in Egypt, long a theoretical possession of the Ottoman sultan but in reality under the rule of a local dynasty. The territory claimed by Britain stretched the whole of the Nile, cutting deep into the heart of Africa and ending in Lakes Victoria and Chad. Where the headwaters of the Nile began.
Ownership of Guinea was also acquired as an extension of existing colonies. Guinea was a bit of a mess, under the control of local tribal rulers and blanketed in nearly impassable jungles its inner regions would take some time to bring under full British control. In the meantime new mining companies soon popped up and began extracting the riches of the land, while others pushed ever deeper into the jungles in the search for new veins of gold and silver. To say nothing of deposits of Diamonds and other jewels.
In addition to these large bits the British also claimed control of numerous other small bits of territory such as Gambia and the ivory coast. As well as a few offshore islands. All were brought under the rule of the crown, in time becoming important parts of an empire on which the sun never set.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands had one reason and one reason only for participating in the conference. That of expanding their Cape colony to the maximum extent possible. To that end Dutch diplomats worked closely with the Portuguese,aside from Germany the only nation with a shared border to the cape colony, to find a border which would satisfy both nations. After some work the Netherlands secured the entirety of the southern tip of the continent, as well as a fair amount of the interior. As a result of the colonies growth it was renamed Zuid-Afrika and made an integral part of the Dutch empire. The colony was the only part of Africa which held a substantial population of white settlers, having been established in 1652, in addition many cities had also been developed. Most notable Johannesburg and Williamsburg, each with populations upwards of fifty thousand.
This gave the Netherlands a major headstart in the colonial race and the Dutch capitalized heavily on it. Using the existing population to establish brand new settlements in the newly acquired lands to the north. The existing roads and rail lines were similarly expanded to connect these new towns and by 1900 Zuid-Afrika was by far the most profitable colony on the continent.
