What is Colonialism? Definition and Examples.

 

##Introduction

Colonization is the process of a country taking complete or partial control over another country and settling there with settlers to make money from the country's resources and economy. It can be hard to tell the difference between colonialism and imperialism because both involve a country taking political and economic control over a country that is weak. From ancient times until the early 20th century, big powers were always trying to expand their power. By the start of WWI in 1914, Europe had colonized countries all over the continent. Although it's not as aggressive as it used to be, there's evidence that colonialism still has some power in the world today.

Key Takeaways: Colonialism

Colonization is when a country takes over the political power of a nearby country or territory.

•  It's when people from one place settle in another place to take advantage of its people and resources.

•  Colonial powers usually try to force their own language and culture on the people living in the area they colonize.

•  It's similar to imperialism, which is when you use force and influence to take over another place or people. 

By 1914, most of the world's countries were colonized by Europeans.  

 

Colonialism Definition

Basically, colonialism is when a foreign power takes control of a nation and its people through the use of settlers. Most of the time, the goal is to make money by taking advantage of the people and resources of the country they've colonized. The colonizers often try to impose their religious beliefs, language, culture, and politics on the people they've colonized, sometimes by force.

                                                                         circa 1900: A British family celebrating Christmas in India. Rischgitz/Getty Images

Colonization is often seen in a negative light due to its frequent and disastrous outcomes, as well as its resemblance to imperialism. However, some countries have benefitted from being colonized. For instance, the leaders of modern Singapore, a British colony between 1826 and 1965, attribute the country's economic growth to the "valuable aspects" of colonial heritage. In many instances, being colonized provided underdeveloped or emerging nations with immediate access to the burdensome European trade market. During the industrial revolution, the major European nations' need for natural resources increased significantly, and their colonized nations were able to sell these materials to them for large profits.

Imperialism vs. Colonialism

We often use the terms colonialism and imperialism interchangeably, but they mean different things to different people. colonialism is the act of controlling another country, while imperialism is the ideology behind it. Basically, colonialism is a form of imperialism. 

Both colonialism and imperialism involve the suppression of another country by another country. The goal of both is to make money and create a military advantage in a given region. But colonialism always involves setting up a physical base in another country. On the other hand, imperialism is about taking over a country's political and economic power, with or without a physical presence.

Examples of countries that are widely regarded as having been influenced by colonialism in their history include the Americas; Australia; New Zealand; Algiers; and Brazil; all of which were colonized by large numbers of European powers. Examples of imperialism, in which foreign power is established without significant settlement, are the European conquest of most of Africa in the late nineteenth century; the Philippines; and the United States’ conquest of Puerto Rico.

History

Colonization dates back to about 1550 BCE, when ancient Greece, ancient Rome, ancient Egypt, and Phoenician civilizations began to expand their conquests into neighbouring and non-confronted territories. These civilizations used their superior military strength to establish colonies that utilized the talents and resources of their conquered peoples to further their conquests.

In the early 17th century, the first stage of modern colonialism came to be known as the “Age of Exploration”. Portuguese explorers were looking for new trade routes and civilizations outside of Europe. In 1419, they captured the North African city of Ceuta and established an empire that lasted until 1999, the longest-lasting of any modern European colonial empire.
Following the success of Portugal’s conquest of the central Atlantic island of Madeira, and its conquest of Cape Verde in 1492, it was Spain’s turn to explore the western sea. Christopher Columbus sailed in 1492 and landed in what is now known as the Bahamas. From there, both Spain and Portugal began colonizing and controlling indigenous lands in what is now the Americas, as well as in India, Africa and Asia.