THE AFRICA CONFERENCE:
AFRICANS RE-DRAWING THE BORDERS OF AFRICA
It is the present, 130 years after the 1884 Conference of Berlin. You are an African delegate attending the Conference on Border Resolution in Africa (remember, Africans did not participate in Berlin). The goal of this conference is to re-draw the borders of Africa to better reflect the needs of the people there.
A. Questions:
Use the “Berlin Conference Reading”, maps of languages, major tribes, and maps of resources, and your textbook
to answer the following questions. Please type the question and your response if possible.
1. Why did Europeans want to colonize Africa?
2. Why did Bismarck call for a meeting of European powers?
3. What was the result of this conference?
4. How many indigenous tribes were there in Africa at the time?
5. What types of things did Europeans NOT consider when arguing over boundaries?
6. Why didn’t the new leaders of African countries change the borders at the time of independence?
7. Who do most people in Africa pledge their loyalty to first?
B. Conflict Map:
Attach the map illustrating where recent conflicts have happened in Africa.
C. Colonial Map:
Use the small map provided to create a colonial map of Africa. Using pg. 404 in your textbook, color the areas controlled by each of the European powers. Be sure to include a legend to indicate who colonized where and your title and orientation.
D. Landlocked Country List:
Make a list of the 14 landlocked countries in Africa.
E. New Map of Africa:
On the large white paper provided, create a new map of Africa. Take into account EVERYTHING you
learned about economic development, resources, cultural development, ethnic conflicts, transportation, population, physical features, climate, etc. when creating your new countries.
Before you draw in the boundaries, do the following:
1. Draw in the major land features (deserts, mountains, rivers).
2. Use the symbols on pg. 419 to draw in where resources are located.
3. Using the basic tribal map on the “Berlin Conference Reading” to label where majortribes are located.
Create a new map of Africa with the following guidelines:
1. You may only have between 15 and 20 countries.
2. You must include the new boundaries and underline the new names for the countries.
*All country names must be appropriate and not goofy.
3. Avoid landlocked and “one commodity” countries.
3. Color your map like you would any other political map and include T.O.L.
F. Cover Page:
Please create a cover page for your project. Make sure it includes both you and your partner’s name.
Rubric
Questions___/5
Conflict Map___/10
Colonial Map___/10
Landlocked Chart___/10
Cover Page___/5
New Map
landforms___/5
resources___/10
tribes___/10
15-20 countries___/10
new country names___/10
no landlocked or one commodity countries___/15
Total: ____/100