From the 15th to the 19th century, only ten percent of Africa had been colonized by European powers. These ten percent of colonies were typically located on the coast of the continent for use in the slave and ivory trade. The central regions of Africa were largely left uncolonized by European powers in the Age of Conquest. More than a thousand native tribes in Africa controlled eighty percent of the continent until the early 1880s (“Basic Essay”). However, at the end of the 19th century, the “scramble for Africa” occurred, leading to almost complete control of the African continent by Europe. European powers began to colonize Africa because the Industrial Revolution increased the need for colonies as sources of supplies and raw materials, and new advances made travel to the continent possible. However, the altruistic goal of bringing “Christianity, commerce, and civilization” to Africa was used as a justification for colonialism, a justification used by many, such as Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingstone, European missionaries and mapmakers of Africa (“ Background Essay”). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The European powers began to struggle for control of the African continent. However, an organization was needed to encourage trade and prevent violence. Otto van Bismarck, Chancellor of Germany, met with Belgium, Austria-Hungary, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway and the United States in Berlin, Germany. Thus, the Berlin Conference took place from 15 November 1884 to 26 February 1885. During this meeting a process for the colonization of Africa was created (“Background Essay”); the General Act of the Berlin Conference defined the borders designated only by the European powers. This conference had a lifelong impact on Africa as European countries drew state borders without concern for the continent's native cultural, linguistic, or social structures ("The Berlin Conference: Dilemma: Openness"), as no African leaders were present. These determined borders led directly to modern African nation-states, and Europe gained control of all of Africa, except Liberia and Ethiopia, in 1914. Ironically, five countries present at the Berlin Conference did not actually gain territory , and these five countries had more. contribution in the division of Africa compared to that made by the Africans themselves (Myers). Although the African borders assigned by the Berlin Conference are today the cause of internal turmoil, since changing them would serve no purpose, they were only one of the factors that led to modern instability in Africa; other causes are linked to political and economic events. The randomly assigned boundaries of the Berlin Conference ignored native ethnic and linguistic boundaries (“Basic Essay”). Essentially, these were two causes of major African problems that continue to this day: the division of linguistic and ethnic groups and the combination of separate African societies (Maddox). The communities were divided; various different and sometimes conflicting social groups were brought together (“Background Essay”). For example, the Conference brought together the conflicting groups of the Ibo and Yoruba, which led to the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1971 (Myers). Violence in Africa today can be linked to the initial violence used in the creation of Africa: Europe needed to control their territories, so they had to send troops and forces for the native Africans to fight back. The violent struggles of colonialism e.).