Between 1870 and 1914, several large empires expanded their colonial control globally. The British Empire was the largest, followed by the French empire. At the Berlin Conference in 1885, European powers divided up territories in Africa. By the early 20th century, most imperialist expansion had ended, while Latin American nations had gained independence from Spain and Portugal. Colonies faced exploitation through racist systems that marginalized local populations and promoted their economies to benefit the controlling European nations.