Its explorers were beginning to penetrate the continent,' Dowden told CNN. It saw Britain and France ruling the world and wanted to compete for its 'place in the sun'. 'Then the new unified Germany began to flex its muscles. The interior until then remained largely inaccessible to Europeans because of disease and difficulty of travel. (CNN) - The wave of Independence across Africa in the 1950s and 1960s brought to the end around 75 years of colonial rule by Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and - until World War I - Germany.īefore 1880, Europeans had only made small incursions into Africa, with forts and trading posts mainly around the coast, according to Richard Dowden, director of the Royal African Society in Britain. CNN.com is marking this major milestone with special coverage in August looking at the continent's past, present and future. Eight of those countries celebrate their anniversary in August, they include Benin, Ivory Coast and Gabon. Historian Gareth Austin said colonies were cheap for British and French taxpayersĮditor's note: This year 17 African nations mark 50 years of independence from their former colonial rulers.It emerged then that Africa had mineral and agricultural wealth available for exploitation.Africa was carved up among several European countries at the Berlin Conference in 1884-5.

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