Question

which statement best describes the extent of european presence in africa in the 1500s?○ france colonized vast areas of the western continent.○ belgium used rivers to control inland areas.● portugal took over coastal cities for trading.○ great britain militarily occupied the southern portion of the continent.

Explanation:

In the 1500s, large-scale European colonization of Africa (like France, Britain, and Belgium's inland/territorial control) occurred much later, in the late 19th-century Scramble for Africa. Portugal, however, established coastal trading posts and controlled coastal cities in Africa starting in the 1500s to facilitate trade in gold, spices, and enslaved people.

Answer:

Portugal took over coastal cities for trading.