Final answer:
The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 aimed to regulate European colonization and trade in Africa by setting agreements on territorial claims, with significant consequences for the continent's future.
Step-by-step explanation:
Purpose of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885
The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 was primarily organized to address the "scramble for Africa" by the European powers. The conference set agreements on the course of taking and controlling new lands in Africa, which involved dividing the continent into different colonial territories. Hosted by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the conference was attended by representatives from various European nations and the United States, but it notably excluded representatives from African nations. Administrative boundaries were established, which often disregarded preexisting political and ethnic boundaries, leading to future conflicts and issues of governance in the post-colonial era.
Through the decisions made at the Berlin Conference, European powers formalized their colonial claims and laid the framework for the expansion of their empires into the African continent. This event set the stage for European imperialistic policies and had significant consequences for the history and development of Africa, leading to the eventual division of African territories along the lines agreed upon by the colonial powers.