P/P/118. Dissertation. What prevented Britain from colonising West Africa?

The dissertation aims to analyse the impact of the disease environment in West Africa in the first half of the nineteenth century. The objective of the author is to study the correlation between the spread of the diseases in Africa and the nature of the British colonial expansion. The paper outlines the effects of the tropical climate on the Europeans and their lack of understanding of its dangers. A historical overview of the British settlement and military presence in West Africa is given showing the relationship between the theories of the disease environment and the imperial activity of Britain. The conclusion is made that disease was the main barrier for the colonial expansion in the West Africa.