Question

Why did European countries want to imperialize Africa?
A) They wanted more raw materials and new people for the slave trade
B) They needed the land for their people
C) Their military needed bases
D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Europe is a continent that is fully in the Northern Hemisphere, with the majority of its landmass in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east border the westernmost peninsulas of Eurasia's continental landmass.

Complete answer:
African colonisation was primarily motivated by economic, political, and religious factors. During this period of colonisation, Europe was experiencing an economic crisis, with powerful countries such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom losing money. Africa appeared to be safe and offered a plentiful supply of raw minerals from which Europe could profit. Europeans were able to easily obtain resources such as oil, ivory, rubber, palm oil, wood, cotton, and gum thanks to the inexpensive labour of Africans. Due to the rise of the Industrial Revolution, these products became more important.

The colonisation of Africa was also a result of European rivalries, with Britain and France at odds since the Hundred Years' War. These countries became embroiled in a competition to gain additional land on the African continent, but the competition was open to all European nations. Britain had made some progress in putting an end to the slave trade along Africa's coasts. Inland, however, the scenario was different: Muslim traders from north of the Sahara and the East Coast continued to trade, and many local chiefs were adamant about keeping slaves.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note: There was hardly a year in the nineteenth century that went by without a European voyage to Africa. The formation of the African Association by affluent Englishmen in 1788 sparked a surge of exploration, and as they travelled, they began to record data about markets, goods, and resources for the wealthy donors who funded their journeys.