It wasn't until years later that anyone understood that the "Indians" he encountered weren't from India after all. ... Five European powers--Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy colonized almost the entire continent by 1900. ... France attempted to annex Algeria in the 1830s, but made little effort to understand the Muslim Berbers who lived there. ... The French finally withdrew from the colony in 1962 after the Algerians voted 6,000,000 to 16,000 to ask the French to leave. ... A civil war is a war within a nation, as opposed to a war with other nations. ...

• Word Count: 2251
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School