Level 92
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Historical Geography and Exploration

Geography of Independence and Decolonization

A survey of how colonial territories became independent states across the twentieth century, and of the border disputes, artificial-state tensions, and economic-dependency patterns that followed decolonization.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. The Wave of African Independence. From Ghana in 1957 to South Africa in 1994, African states shed colonial rule in successive waves.
  2. Partition and Independence in South Asia. British India split into India and Pakistan in August 1947 amid the largest mass migration in history.
  3. Decolonization in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian colonies won independence through negotiation, revolution, and, in Indochina, prolonged war.
  4. The Non-Aligned Movement and Cold War Geography. Newly independent states organized a "third way" between the Cold War's Western and Soviet blocs.
  5. Post-Independence Border Conflicts. Colonial-era borders and unresolved partitions sparked recurring wars in the decades after independence.
  6. Nation-Building and Artificial States. Colonial borders frequently ignored precolonial ethnic and political lines, complicating national unity.
  7. Economic Dependency After Decolonization. Political independence often left former colonies structurally dependent on their former colonial rulers.
  8. Decolonization's Unfinished Territories. Dozens of territories remain formally non-self-governing decades after the main wave of decolonization.

This module continues after "Historical Migrations and the Peopling of Continents" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1The Wave of African Independence
2Decolonization in Southeast Asia
3Post-Independence Border Conflicts
4Nation-Building and Artificial States
5Decolonization's Unfinished Territories

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

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Final test

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Optional mini-games

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Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Betts, R.F. (2004). Decolonization (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
  • Meredith, M. (2005). The Fate of Africa: A History of the Continent Since Independence. New York: PublicAffairs.
  • Khan, Y. (2007). The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan. New Haven: Yale University Press.
  • Westad, O.A. (2005). The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Young, C. (1994). The African Colonial State in Comparative Perspective. New Haven: Yale University Press.
  • Nkrumah, K. (1965). Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism. London: Thomas Nelson & Sons.