Peculiarities of Africa And The West

Question: What accounts for the rather late emergence of African countries as independent nation-states? Is there something peculiar about Africa that delayed its drive for independence? Answer: Africa was subjected to colonialism for a long period. The Dark Continent was colonized by the French, Belgians, and the British. Most of the countries got independence in the 1960s. The Second World War played a vital role in weakening imperial power in the colonies. The two Great Powers has lost their status due to the war and weakened it economically and politically. West African countries like Nigeria and Cape Verda became economically dominant in the 1960s. The British exploitation had reached its height and hence the educated elites comprising lawyers, businesspeople and teachers. The United Nations was a major contributor to the development. 17 African states joined in the United Nations in 1960. It was in this year that the decision of decolonization was taken (Brower Sanders 2013). The World War had a huge impact on these powerful colonizers. British shifted its focus from the colonies to its country. The war had drained the wealth of the nation and hence faced major defeat at the hands of its colonies. There were drastic political and social changes and Africans took a more active part in politics and economics. They were gaining administrative powers. There was an emergence of African leaders, and the colony was getting opportunities in education and economy. Moreover, the Depression of the 1930s also proved detrimental for the colonial powers. It was during these years that people of Africa started exploring the vast resources that the Continent possessed. These processes took place in the latter half of the twentieth century and were drivers of colonialism (Loomba 2015). References Brower, D. R., Sanders, T. (2013).World in the Twentieth Century: From Empires to Nations, The. Pearson Higher Ed. Loomba, A. (2015).Colonialism/postcolonialis