In the late nineteenth century , the European powers occupied much of the continent , creating many colonial and dependent territories . They left only two fully independent states : Ethiopia ( known to Europeans as `` Abyssinia '' ) , and Liberia . In the late 19th century , the European imperial powers engaged in a major territorial scramble and occupied most of the continent , creating many colonial territories , and leaving only two fully independent states : Ethiopia ( known to Europeans as `` Abyssinia '' ) , and Liberia .