Africa

In the late 19th century Europe began its act of colonization on Africa which lingered for about a 100 years. It intrusively controlled the political and social aspects of the country. Additionally, and most importantly, it invaded the cultural and economical aspects. When the era of colonization abated, Africa was left behind with major problems which prolong today.

During the era of colonization, the British, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Belgian powers robbed Africa of its natural resources. They invaded the country, build roads, hospitals, schools, and other luxurious items. However, these massive improvements were only useful to the elite and colonial leaders. The African people were neglected and more or less forced to adapt to Western ideologies in order to survive. Once the colonial countries departed from the country, the African people were stripped of their identity, culture, and language. They had to, once again, strive to find their place in the world.

Some parts of Africa were severely more hurt by post colonization than others. The Belgian Congo, today known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was viciously wounded by King Leopold II. He made the people work intensively on the rubber resources of the country. The act of refusal was punished by amputation. The act of burning down villages and towns was also practiced quite often. These brutal acts decreased the population of Belgian Congo by 50%.

“Scramble for Africa” (Helium) began by the Europeans and continued once they departed from the country. Since the European countries divided Africa amongst themselves, later the African people were faced with boundary issues. They could never go back to the original formation of the country and how it was originally divided amongst the tribes that dwelled there. Some people were even forced to dwell in the land of their enemies.

Another major issue is the lack of superior economical infrastructure. Africa, even today, relies on outside aid and goods from Western countries. The people still suffer from hunger, poverty, and epidemic issues.