Final answer:
Europeans were after raw materials, slave labor, captive markets, and strategic advantages when colonizing Africa.
Step-by-step explanation:
- Raw materials: Europeans were interested in Africa's abundant natural resources such as oil, rubber, timber, and diamonds. These resources were used to fuel industrialization and economic growth in Europe.
- Slave labor: African slaves were forcibly taken to the Americas and the Caribbean to work on plantations. They were seen as a valuable resource for the labor-intensive production of crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton.
- Market for goods: Europeans sought to establish colonies in Africa to create captive markets for their manufactured goods. They wanted to sell their products to Africans and limit competition from other European powers.
- Strategic advantages: Control over ports and trade routes in Africa gave Europeans access to new markets and facilitated the expansion of their empires. It allowed them to dominate global trade and extend their political influence worldwide.
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