In what time period did the "Scramble for Africa" take place?

The "Scramble for Africa" or "Partition of Africa" was the occupation and colonization of much of Africa by European powers occurring between 1881 and 1914. Historians labeled this time period as the era of "New Imperialism". New Imperialism was the effort by certain European powers, Japan and the United States to conquer/colonize Africa and parts of Asia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although Japan and the United States were involved during the era of New Imperialism in Asia, neither Japan nor the United States were involved in Africa.

In 1870 only about 10 percent of Africa was under European control. By 1914 nearly 90 percent of the continent was dominated by European powers. Only Ethiopia (also known as Abyssinia), a section of present-day Somalia (called the Dervish state) and Liberia were still independent entities.

The political and economic rivalries among the European powers in the last quarter of the 19th century were generally avoided due to the partitioning of African territories. The later years of the 19th century also saw a shift from an "informal imperialism" that entailed military and economic dominance to more direct rule, bringing about a "colonial imperialism" where the imperial powers would impose their religion, economics, and medicinal practices on the native inhabitants.