Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-05-16

There Are Only Two hide
pendent Countries on
Continent.

~
Africa serves to emphasize again tho
fact that the dark continent is the
greatest region of colonial exploitation
in the world. The area of Africa is
IL, 1852, 900 square miles, exclusive Of
its islands. II will be seen from this
( that il is nearly four times as large as
the United States. II has population
of 1877, 100000.
And yet there are only two small
countries in the entire country thai
are independent-Liberia and Abyss
inia. Liberia has an area about the
size of Virginia and population equal
to that of the city of Philadelphia.
Abyssinia's area is little more than
twice as great as that of France or
Germany and its population equals
that of Pennsylvania.
England controls a territory in
Africa larger than that of the entire
United States, including Alaska. The
African population under English
dominion is one-half as great as the
entire population of the United States.
France, at the outset of the war; had
an African territory equal in area to
that of the United States and all her
possessions and Mexico. The popu-
lation of French African territories
equals that of Brazil.
Portuguese holdings in Africa are
as large as Mexico, with a population
about half as dense. Belgium hold
ings are one-third and those. of Italy
one-fifth as large as the territory of
continental United States.
1t is an interesting fact that Great
Britain's holdings in Africa are almost
exactly equal TO those in North Amer
lea. They are thirty-fYe times as
large as the United Kingdom itself,
and have a population large enough
! to replace that of the United Kingdom
with enough TO populate a new Lon
don to spare
The African holdings of France are
twenty-five times as large in area as
the home country itself, while the
population is nearly two-thirds as
great. Belgium holdings are eighty
two times as great in area as Belgium
herself, while the population is more
than twice as great. Italy controls
593, 600 square miles of African terri
tory, which is five times as much as
her European area.
These figures were prepared by the
National Geographic society, whose
headquarters are in Washington, and
which now has the largest member
ship of any scientific institution in the !
world. The statement which con-
tains them proceeds:
"The manner in which the nations |
OF Europe have apportioned the sec
ond largest continent of the world |
among themselves forms one of the
most unique chapters in the history
of political geography.
Before 1880 Africa was allowed to |
drift along almost undisturbed by the
politics of the outside world. 1t is
true that scientific and commercial
activities from Europe had invaded
the continent, but there had never
been any apportionment of the terri
tory having the sanction of inter-
national agreements.
'In 1884 King Leopold OF Belgium
succeeded in having a conference
called to determine the status of the |
COMO territory, held in trust for civ
ilization' by the African International |
association. The result of this con-
ference was the setting up of the
Congo Free State, with the king of |
Belgium at its head. In addition
thereto the conference defined the
general sphere of influence of the
powers of Africa.
In 1890, following out the plans of
the conference, Great Britain nego-
tiated a treaty, signed in Berlin, which
gave her Uganda and thus thwarted
dream the Germans had long held
of a through railroad across Africa
entirely on German soil. On the
other hand, by gaining possession of
the Belgian Congo, Germany as effec-
tually prevented the construction of
Cape-to-Cairo railway under British
control.
! siCor,,,o,,,,, holdiro,. i, At,