Final answer:
European languages are spoken in Africa due to historical trade interactions, development of pidgins and creoles, and principally through the colonization and division of Africa by European powers during the scramble for Africa.
Step-by-step explanation:
European languages are spoken in Africa largely due to the historical events of colonization and the transatlantic slave trade. Starting in the fifteenth century, European trade with various African regions led to bilingualism among West Africans, particularly in Portuguese, as well as other European languages. By the sixteenth century, Europeans and Africans developed pidgin languages, and eventually creoles, particularly in areas where enslaved Africans outnumbered Europeans, such as the Lowcountry where Gullah emerged.
Colonialism had an even more significant impact on language distribution in Africa. The scramble for Africa during the Berlin Conference of 1884 saw European powers dividing the continent, which led to the widespread imposition of European languages as administrative and educational languages. As a result, many Africans learned European languages and, over time, these languages became integrated into African societies. Additionally, Europeans introduced modern medicine, such as quinine for treating malaria, which allowed them to survive and establish stronger footholds across the continent, further entrenching European languages.