The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 was a meeting of European powers to regulate and formalize the colonization of Africa. Convened by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the conference aimed to prevent conflicts between European nations as they scrambled for African territories. Key outcomes included the establishment of rules for claim validation and the principle of effective occupation, meaning that a nation could only claim a territory if it was effectively governed. This conference significantly accelerated the partitioning of Africa, leading to immense exploitation and lasting effects on the continent's political, social, and economic structures.