History
Colonial Legacies and the Anthropology of Postcolonial States
Quick fact
Most of the borders of modern African states were drawn by European colonial powers at the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, without a single African representative. These arbitrary lines continue to shape political entities and ethnic compositions, often fueling conflict.
Why this is interesting
When India became independent in 1947, it kept the British civil service, the same railways, and even the same office furniture. Why would a newly sovereign nation so readily embrace the apparatus of its former oppressors?