The period 1880-1914 was the heyday of imperialism. During this period, which were the most important articles exported from the mother countries Britain and France to their African colonies?

hintmaster

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire The British Empire was the most extensive empire in world history, having had the largest Landmass, Population and GDP of any empire in world history. For a substantial time it was not only a major power but also the foremost power in the world. It was a product of the European age of discovery, which began with the maritime explorations of the 15th century, that inaugurated the era of the European colonial empires. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over a population of about 458 million people, approximately one-quarter of the world's population.[1] It covered about 36.6 million km² (14.2 million square miles)[2], about a quarter of Earth's total land area. Though it has now mostly evolved into the Commonwealth of Nations, British influence remains strong throughout the world: in economic practice, legal and governmental systems, society, sports (such as cricket and football), and the English language itself, to name just a few. Dec 05 06, 8:31 PM

author

Thanks, but this doesn´t answer my question about the goods exported from Britain/France to the African colonies. Myself I would guess textiles/machinery, but I need to see a good reference. Dec 06 06, 10:09 AM