Pink Map: Portuguese Scramble for Africa 1881-1914

Portugal was in Africa long before the other European powers but had to struggle to maintain its place during the Scramble for Africa. Portugal’s claimed sovereignty over the land between Angola and Mozambique, now including Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi (Wikipedia: Pink Map). This claim was embodied in the ‘Pink Map’ (Portuguese: Mapa cor-de-rosa). Unfortunately the Pink Map conflicted with the British “Cape to Cairo Red Line”.

Timeline Portuguese Angola 1884 – 1917

The first map is a version of the Portuguese ‘Pink Map’.

Portugal's Pink Map
Portugal’s Pink Map

What that map doesn’t show is where the other Imperial powers were. The next map does show the other Imperial powers scrambling for Africa. Ironically, the British territories are shown in “Pink” – the “Cape to Cairo Red Line”. Portuguese territories are in purple. You can see the obvious conflict between the British and Portuguese – the “Cape to Cairo Red Line” runs right between Angola and Mozambique.

Portugal's Pink Line meets Britain's Cape to Cairo Red Line
Portugal’s Pink Line meets Britain’s Cape to Cairo Red Line

Of course all of this was happening in the wider context of colonisation.

1914 Global Colonisation
1914 Global Colonisation

See also

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