How important is colonialism to understanding current political systems in Algeria and Nigeria? Africa is a vast continent containing many countries; for the most part, the only thing these countries have in common is the following: they were all colonized at some point. The British and French colonial empires were two of the most powerful and expansive colonizing forces the world has ever known. The French were known for their colonial policy of “assimilation”, while the English were more focused on a more “laissez faire” approach. Although the two colonial powers had different ideologies, both had a lasting impact on the countries they set foot in, particularly with France in Algeria and Britain in Nigeria. These lasting effects are still visible today and are more than important in the analysis of the current political and economic systems in both Algeria and Nigeria. In 1827, the French colonial empire began the conquest of Algeria and the French remained in Algeria until 1962. Algeria in particular (along with Morocco and Tunisia) was a colony that France was strongly against leaving and declaring independent, this left a nostalgic impact on the country, but such was their style of colonization. The policy of “assimilation” was largely based on integrating and making colonies actually parts of the country rather than simply controlling foreign territory. In the minds of the French, Algeria was a sort of “new France”; It was also possible for Algerians to obtain French citizenship. The French implemented their political system as well as their secular school and educational system in Algeria. French culture was very present in Algeria; French had even become an official language. However, shortly after the midpoint of the document, French and British indirect rule, on the other hand, produced a much more catastrophic situation as tensions between different regions reached a much higher level. horrible war and led to a long era of military rule. However, the economic measures put in place have been very beneficial to Nigerians and Nigeria is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In conclusion, the two different colonial approaches have produced very different results in both Algeria and Nigeria, however, in both cases we see that colonialism is essential, not to mention important, to understanding the current political and economic systems in the countries of Today. Years of uncertain rule leading to a strong economy are typical of post-British colonialism (e.g. Ghana, Kenya), while dependence on the French and a relatively weak economy are typical of post-French rule (e.g. Senegal, Cameroon).