The Industrial Revolution in the late 1700's created a need for raw materials and markets. By the early 19th century most European nations had gained some colonial territory. As weapons technology improved, Europeans were easily able to take control of huge amounts of land and large numbers of people.

Great Britain led the way with nearly 20 percent of the world's land mass under its control. With colonies on every continent, the British people were known to boast that, The sun never set on the British Empire. The Germans and French tried to keep up with the British and eventually carved out large chunks of Africa along with several Pacific islands and Asian ports. The smaller countries, namely Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands, also got in on the game by taking lands in central Africa and the Dutch East Indies.

As the globe was carved up into European claims, it became obvious that clashes could occur between two or more imperialists over territory. So the European powers met in Berlin, Germany, in 1885 to set some ground rules. They agreed that a colony could only be established if a European nation announced its claim and actually occupied the land. The new guidelines created a greater sense of urgency among the Europeans to grab whatever they could before someone else did.

Answer the following questions from the reading above.