Berlin hosted the 1884–1885 conference that set rules for European claims in Africa. The Berlin Conference, chaired by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, ran from November 1884 to February 1885.
European powers and the United States discussed trade, navigation, and the procedures by which a power could claim territory in Africa. The General Act of the conference included principles such as effective occupation and formal notification of claims. African rulers and representatives were not included as participants in the negotiations.
The meeting did not literally divide every part of Africa on a map in one session, but it helped formalize the imperial competition later called the Scramble for Africa. Its decisions contributed to colonial boundaries and political arrangements that had long-lasting effects. Berlin was the host city; Brussels became associated with separate colonial initiatives, especially those involving King Leopold II.