Suchergebnisse

Europe and Africa, Berlin 1885 to Berlin 1989
The 1885 Berlin Conference on the partition of Africa and the 1989 dismantling of the wall that symbolised the East-West divide, stand as key dates in the history of international relations. They both influenced the destiny of Africa. The conference between the nineteenth-century leading countries left its mark, which is still being felt today, in the political and economic geography of the African continent. The fall of the Berlin wall has questioned the relevance of the links between European countries, most of them former colonial powers, and African countries. Today's interest in Eastern countries fuels fears of a growing indifference towards Africa; the démocratisation of formerly totalitarian Eastern regimes finds its counterpart in young African nations, which have generally known political dictatorships only, most of whom are being dismissed today due to economic bankrupcies of the continent. This paper presents the evolution of political, commercial and financial links between European and African countries. Using both historical and quantitative analysis of flows, this paper proposes an explanatory approach to the situation observed in such relations, aims at a better understanding of the lack of development and proposes solutions for the future.