DID YOU KNOW THAT?

On This Day: In 1884 thirteen European nations gathered in Berlin to settle disputed claims to colonies in Africa and to “ensure the peaceful exploitation” of the continent. During the meeting, known as the Berlin Conference or the Congo Co...nference, the various powers in attendance agreed to divide up the region among France, Portugal, and the Belgian monarchy. The thirteen European nations involved were Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway (union until 1905), the Ottoman Empire, and the United States to take part in the Berlin Conference to work out policy. However, the United States did not actually participate in the conference both because it had an inability to take part in territorial expeditions as well as a sense of not giving the conference further legitimacy. During the conference, the Principle of Effective Occupation was agreed upon, which stated that powers could acquire rights over colonial lands only if they actually possessed them: in other words, if they had treaties with local leaders, if they flew their flag there, and if they established an administration in the territory to govern it with a police force to keep order. The colonial power could also make use of the colony economically.