Africa ... states of independence

[Swede]

This year 17 African nations mark 50 years of independence

Europe was in the throes of the Industrial Revolution. The advent of the machine was transforming the cities there into the workshop of the world - a workshop in need of raw materials. It was the dawn of industrial-scale production, modern capitalist economies and mass international trade. And in this new industrial era the value of Africa rocketed - not only for its materials and as a strategic trade route, but also as a market for the goods Europe now produced in bulk.

But the scramble for Africa was not just about economics. Colonialism had become the fast-track to political supremacy in Europe. Rival European powers convened in the German capital and in February 1885 signed the Act of Berlin - an agreement to abolish slavery and allow free trade. The act also drew new borders on the map of Africa, awarding territory to each European power - thus legalising the scramble for Africa.

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/2010/08/2010831112927318164.html