Short answer: By 1870, about 10% of Africa was formally under European control; by 1914, that figure had risen to around 90%. Context and nuance:
- The common framing of the “Scramble for Africa” notes that European states had colonial presence along coasts and in scattered footholds in 1870, totaling roughly 10% of the continent. By the outbreak of World War I, European powers had expanded their control to encompass most of the interior as well, leaving only a few sovereign polities like Ethiopia and Liberia (though Ethiopia would be briefly occupied by Italy in 1936, and Liberia maintained a unique U.S.-linked status) [web sources aligned with historical overviews of pre-1870 and 1870–1914 colonial expansion].
- Important caveats: “colonized” can be defined in different ways (formal rule vs. effective control, protectorates vs. settlements, fiscal/administrative authority vs. military presence). Most standardized summaries use formal European administrative control as the metric, which yields roughly 10% in 1870 and about 90% by 1914, with a few states remaining independent in the interim [web sources addressing the Scramble for Africa].
- If you need a quick, citable stat for education or writing, the commonly cited figures are:
- 1870: ~10% controlled by European powers
- 1914: ~90% controlled by European powers
Would you like a few reputable sources you can reference (e.g., encyclopedia or university course materials) and a brief timeline of key events that led to the rapid expansion between 1870 and 1914?
