Chapter 34 : Africa The collapse of European colonialism led to the rise of many new nations in Africa starting in the mid-1950s. The colonial legacy, however, often made building stable governments, resolving ethnic conflicts, and creating modern economies difficult. One problem was the political boundaries set up by the Europeans without regard to ethnic loyalties. Another challenge was that agricultural economies—forced by colonial rulers to rely on a single cash crop—were facing sharp declines in world commodity prices. In addition, Africa suffered several droughts and famine in the last half of the 20th century. Many Africans, however, were throwing off reminders of their colonial past. A movement for African unity created new political and economic links among the nations. Also, after years of forced racial segregation, South Africa became a full democracy open to all its races in the mid-1990s.