After establishing coastal footholds, European powers moved into the interior to secure territories, resources and strategic routes.
Reasons for Expansion
- Search for raw materials, markets and fertile land.
- Political rivalry and the desire for prestige.
- Missionary and humanitarian claims.
- Strategic interests and the need to link coastal territories.
Methods
- Exploration and geographical mapping.
- Treaties and concessions.
- Trading companies and missionaries.
- Military expeditions and superior weapons.
- Use of railways, roads and administrative stations.
Challenges
European forces faced tropical diseases, difficult terrain, poor transport, strong African states and determined resistance.
Consequences
Penetration led to conquest, the expansion of colonial boundaries, new trade networks and the disruption of African political and economic systems.
