Which 1884 conference established the rules for European colonization of Africa?

The Berlin Conference established rules that European powers used during the colonization of Africa.

The conference met in Berlin from November 1884 to February 1885 under the chairmanship of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Fourteen states attended, including European powers and the United States, although no African government was represented in the negotiations.

Its General Act addressed trade, navigation, and territorial claims in Africa. The principle of “effective occupation” required a power claiming territory to demonstrate actual control and notify other powers. This encouraged intensified competition, often called the Scramble for Africa.

The conference did not draw every modern African border in one meeting, and it did not itself divide the entire continent. Nevertheless, its rules helped legitimize European expansion and intensified colonial conquest. The Congo Basin received special treatment, and the Congo Free State became the personal possession of Belgium’s King Leopold II until 1908.