Commercial Necessarily in so large an area with so many tribes and pea ples who keep no accounts of their transactions, a considerable amount of commerce must pass without being recorded in any way, yet the annual commerce of Africa, of which statistics are available, amounts to over $1,440,000,000. The principal imports were distributed as fol lows: Into British territory (1913-14), $441, 516,990; French territory (1913), $174,250,76.5; Portuguese territory (1913), $74,000,000; Ger man territory (1912), $30,000,000; into the Kongo Free State (1912), $11,000,000; and in to Italian territory (1912), $10,500,000. They consist largely of manufactured goods, espe cially cotton goods. Of the exports a large share, especially those from the south, is gold and diamonds; in the tropical region ivory, rubber, palm nuts and gums and in the north a fair share .of the exports are products of agriculture, cotton, coffee, cacao, spices, dates, etc. Exports from British Africa amounted (1914) to over $489,000,000; from French Af rica (1913) to $128,000,000; from Portuguese Africa to $42,000,000; from German Africa (1912) to $25,000,000; from Belgian Kongo (1912) to $12,000,000.
exploration and civilization of Africa and the opening up of the interior of the continent to commerce and industry." After deliberations lasting three days the conference formed the ((International African Association," with its headquarters at Brussels; committees were to be established in the various countries repre sented and the central idea was apparently to place the entire matter of the exploration and development of Africa on an international footing. The greed of the different nations,
awakened by the commercial prospects of the Kongo, led to various disputes, and at length it was decided by consent of all the Great Powers, including the United States, to adjust the several difficulties at an international con ference in Berlin. This conference opened 17 Nov. 1884 and closed its session 26 Feb. 1885. Prince Bismarck presided at its deliberations. Fifteen countries were represented. It was declared that the regions forming the basin of the Kongo River and tributaries shall be neu tral territory, free trade shall exist there, na tionals of any country may undertake trans portation therein, the powers exercising sov ereign rights in adjacent territory shall not exercise any monopoly of trade and all shall bind themselves to suppress slavery. The cen tral association became gradually more and more Belgian in character, while the territory in question at last developed into the Kongo Free State under the personal sovereignty of King Leopold. See AFRICA; BELGIAN KONGO ; STANLEY, H. M.