Which 1884 conference established the rules for dividing much of Africa among European powers?

The Berlin Conference established rules that European powers used to regulate their claims in Africa. Held in Berlin from November 1884 to February 1885, it was convened by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. African societies and states were not represented as equal participants in the negotiations.

The conference did not itself draw every modern African border or simply divide the entire continent in one sitting. Instead, it set principles for European colonial expansion, including the idea that effective occupation was important for recognizing claims and rules concerning trade and navigation in parts of Central Africa.

Its diplomatic framework accelerated the Scramble for Africa, during which European states expanded formal control over African territories. The resulting colonial boundaries often ignored existing political, cultural and linguistic regions, with consequences that continued after decolonization.

The conference is sometimes called the Congo Conference because the Congo Basin was central to its agenda. King Leopold II of Belgium gained international recognition for his control of the Congo Free State, which later became notorious for brutal exploitation.