The African continent is one of the largest land masses on the planet. With its massive population, enormous natural resources and rich cultural history, one must ask why a country on the continent holds third world status. The amount of corruption and poverty in many African states is astonishing, and to uncover the reasons for the current state of many African nations one must go back to the end of the 19th century, when Africa was carved up by the major European powers of the time. By drawing arbitrary lines on the map of Africa, Western powers effectively changed the course of African history and laid the foundation for intense exploitation and domination of the African people. It could be argued that Western powers have been doing this since the beginning of the slave trade, but that is not the focus of this analysis. This article will focus on the impact of nearly 100 years of colonial rule in Africa. My goal is to demonstrate that, due to colonialism in Africa, political, social and economic development was actually delayed until most countries achieved freedom. And even since the 1960s, the period in which the majority of African states gained independence, the majority of African states have demonstrated that they are still not truly independent, indeed a good majority are still under the influence of neocolonialism. There are some who prefer to also consider the positive aspects of colonialism and that colonial governments did a lot to benefit Africans. It is my opinion, along with many others, that “colonialism had only one hand: it was a one-armed bandit” (Rodney, 205). Africa on the eve of colonialism was a very different Africa than many would think. After almost three centuries of slave trade, Africa... at the center of the paper... the game of colonization: oppressing, repressing any revolt, taking capital away from rural peasants and refusing to contribute to social development. services. To be honest, Europe left Africa in a state of disarray, and the fact that it did not help it gradually self-govern was done on purpose: to continue a state of neocolonialism. When considering political, social and economic factors, it becomes obvious that Africa's current state is due to almost a century of direct rule. While the rest of the world has experienced the Industrial Revolution, Africa is just starting to experience the modern technologies and services that have long been a staple of the Western world. Crippling debt, famine and oppressive militaries characterize the continent today and, as Donald Wright aptly titled his article on postcolonial Gambia, “Independence or Dependence?”