...Leopold's personal organization receives the balance: two…
1885 CE
...Leopold's personal organization receives the balance: two million three hundred and forty-four thousand square kilometers (nine hundred and five thousand square miles, with about thirty million people.
It still remains though for these territories to be occupied under the conference's Principle of Effectivity, which states that powers can hold colonies only if they actually possess them: in other words, if they have treaties with local leaders, if they fly their flag there, and if they establish an administration in the territory to govern it with a police force to keep order.
The colonial power also has to make use of the colony economically.
If the colonial power does not do these things, another power could do so and take over the territory.
It therefore becomes important to get leaders to sign a protectorate treaty and to have a presence sufficient to police the area.