Why are Africa's political boundaries often irrational? Give an example of a country for which this is true.

Africa, along with the middle east and portions of Asia and the Americas, was divided not by the tribes that lived there long ago, but by the colonial powers. The imperial empires of France, Spain, Britain, and many others all went into the African interior with massive armies, conquering vast swathes of land. When the time came to divide the new land into colonies, most division was done with little thought to the tribal sects, cultures, and languages spoken in those colonies. Thus, many countries like Somalia and Mali found themselves home to people who despised each other, and when the colonial empires retreated from Africa, no one changed the borders, so many African nations are embroiled in civil war because no one gets along with anyone else.

Africa, along with the middle east and portions of Asia and the Americas, was divided not by the tribes that lived there long ago, but by the colonial powers. The imperial empires of France, Spain, Britain, and many others all went into the African interior with massive armies, conquering vast swathes of land. When the time came to divide the new land into colonies, most division was done with little thought to the tribal sects, cultures, and languages spoken in those colonies. Thus, many countries like Somalia and Mali found themselves home to people who despised each other, and when the colonial empires retreated from Africa, no one changed the borders, so many African nations are embroiled in civil war because no one gets along with anyone else.