Britain ceded Heligoland to Germany in exchange for German African territories and sphere of interest agreements. The move reflected British efforts to further African expansion by coming to agreements with other European powers. Heligoland was a British island in the North Sea. It was ceded to Germany in exchange for German recognition of British control of Zanzibar.

Aerial image of Heligoland, 2021

Source: Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons