The main purpose of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 was to regulate European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period. European powers gathered to negotiate rules for the partition of Africa, aiming to avoid conflicts among themselves as they sought to expand their empires. The conference, held without African representatives, led to the arbitrary division of African territories among European nations, disregarding existing ethnic, cultural, and political boundaries. The outcomes intensified imperialistic pursuits and had lasting impacts, contributing to conflicts and instability in Africa that persist to this day.