What was regulated during the Berlin Conference (1884-1885)?

The Berlin Conference, held from 1884 to 1885, was primarily focused on regulating European colonization and trade in Africa. During this conference, major European powers established guidelines for the division of the African continent, which led to the "Scramble for Africa." The discussions were aimed at ensuring that European countries could avoid conflicts over territorial claims and to legitimize their presence on the continent by laying down protocols for claiming land.

Leaders at the conference sought to prevent potential disputes among themselves, and thus they created principles for how territories could be acquired. The outcome significantly reshaped the political landscape of Africa, leading to the establishment of colonial boundaries that often disregarded the existing ethnic and cultural divisions.

While international public health standards, trade agreements, and political alliances were important in other contexts, they were not the central focus or outcome of the Berlin Conference. The primary legacy of the conference is closely tied to the regulation of African colonization and trade by European powers, which had long-lasting impacts on the continent's development.