r ish ▁families ▁Category : S urn ames ▁of ▁Irish ▁origin <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Br uss els ▁Geographic ▁Conference ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁Br uss els , ▁Belg ium ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁at ▁the ▁request ▁of ▁King ▁Leopold ▁II ▁of ▁Belg ium . ▁At ▁the ▁conference ▁were ▁invited ▁nearly ▁forty ▁well - known ▁exper ts , ▁mainly ▁they ▁were ▁sch oo led ▁in ▁the ▁ge ographic ▁sciences ▁or ▁were ▁wealth y ▁phil anth rop ists . ▁Before ▁the ▁guests ▁returned ▁to ▁their ▁respective ▁countries , ▁they ▁voted ▁to ▁establish ▁the ▁International ▁African ▁Association . ▁This ▁initi ative ▁would ▁in ▁the ▁end ▁p ave ▁the ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁Congo ▁Free ▁State . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Berlin ▁Conference ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 4 - 8 5 ▁ ▁S ources ▁ ▁É mile ▁B anning , ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Br uss els ▁ge ographical ▁conference , ▁translated ▁by ▁Richard ▁Henry ▁Major , ▁London ▁: ▁Sam pson ▁Low , ▁Mar ston , ▁S ear le ▁& ▁R iving ton , ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁ ▁F ond ation ▁du ▁Congo , ▁Mem oires ▁de ▁Em ile ▁B anning , ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁ ▁Category : History ▁of ▁European ▁colonial ism ▁Category : Di plom atic ▁con ferences ▁in ▁Belg ium ▁Category : Ge ography ▁con ferences ▁Category : 1 9 th - century ▁diplom atic ▁con ferences ▁Category : 1 8 7 6 ▁in ▁international ▁relations ▁Category : 1 8 7 6 ▁in ▁Belg ium ▁Category :