Explain six terms of the Berlin conference of 1884 -1885.

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Any European nation laying claims to any part of Africa must inform other interested parties.
-All European Nations in the conference must declare their spheres of influence(an area under each nations occupation).
-Once an area is declared a sphere of influence there should be occupation of the area by the claimant.
-Any power taking a territory in Africa must adhere to stopping slave trade and safeguard interests of Africa.
They should also protect the Christian missionaries, traders, scientists and Explorers from local attacks.
-That courses and basins of rivers like Congo, Niger, Zambezi are to be left free for any interested power to navigate.
They also recognized king Leopold II as a claimant of Congo Free State.
-That if a European power claims the African Coast, the land in the interior behind that Coast belongs to whoever is occupying it.
-That any European nation having as a protectorate Africa has to take the territory and should protect European interest and rights. It should also guarantee free trade

OR

The Berlin Conference was convened by the German Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck in the year between 1884 and 1885.Its main concern was to prevent his country (Germany)from engaging in a conflict with the other colonial powers.the Berlin Conference was attended by country like Germany, Britain ,France, Italy, Belgian ,and Portugal.The terms in the Berlin Conference included the following;

That each signatory power must declare this spear of influence and must inform the other interested parties. The aim of this term was to prevent the colonial powers from engaging themselves in conflicts as a colonial power may claim a certain part of the land and the an other colonial power comes and declares the same part of the land . This will cause rivalry between the two colonial powers.

That any power that has declared any part of the African coast then the interior land becomes theirs. For instance if a colonial power decides to declare the part of Kenyan coast as their spear of influence then the interior land of Kenya becomes theirs.

That any colonial power must undertake to stamp out slave trade in their area of influence and introduce legitimate trade. This is because many European countries in the 19th century viewed slavery evil.Additionally Europeans knew that they will not be able to colonize Africa until slave trade is abolished.

That all signatories must under take to protect the rights of the existing Europeans in Africa.The colonial powers were to ensure that Africans do not override the interests of the Europeans.

That River Congo and Niger were to be left free for any colonial power to navigate.This was in order to prevent rivals between the European powers . Its was also to facilitate trade as goods could be transported easily with in the colonies.

That once any colonial power has occupied any territory in Africa had to maintain effective occupation by sending administration. If a power failed to meet that condition then any colonial power had right to occupy the land so longs as it was ready to prove administrative power.

CONCLUSION
In a nutshell the Berlin conference helped greatly in preventing the wars between the European powers and therefore it enhanced peaceful scramble and partition of the African continent by the European powers.The terms in the Berlin Conference were to be followed by all colonial powers.

steve williams answered the question on November 7, 2017 at 09:24

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Explain six terms of the Berlin conference of 1884 -1885.

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