ation dramatically increased world-trade there was consequently a great demand for coaling stations around the world. This encouraged land-grabbing by countries in order to secure these stations which were generally on the coast requiring the procurement of land inland in order to protect the stations. While economic realities would justify this the wholesale division of the African continent could not be justified on purely economic grounds when overall colonies were seen as an economic drain on the mother country. This was particularly true for countries like Germany, late starters in the colonial race.
             Another reason was that of religious zeal. European countries wanted to spread their religious beliefs while eliminating other religions. Roman Catholic countries, particularly Spain set out to convert non-Christian native peoples. The impact of the coloniser's religion on native societies varied. In parts of We
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