Europeans and colonialism
Around 1,000 BC, colonies were formed around the Mediterranean. This happened because Greek cities wanted to gain income through trade. The Roman Empire colonised large areas of land and people when they expanded their empire. The Vikings also established colonies in Ireland and elsewhere. From the 16th century, large-scale European colonialism outside Europe began.
Illustrasjon fra 1800-tallet av et møte i Kongo mellom Europere og Afrikansk urfolk
The cause of colonialism
There are two main reasons why a country would colonise another, economic and strategic. Sometimes both of them apply.
If the reason is economic, the colonial power is seeking to make money through goods and raw materials within the area. The goods and materials are exported to the colonial power, and sometimes these are brought back to the colony. The colony will then serve as a market. It was common for the native people to be forced to do slave labour for the colonial power.
When the colonisation is strategic, the colonial authority has a desire to expand its power. Colonisation was often motivated by a combination of both economic and strategic objectives.
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Antique photograph of the British Empire: Annexation of the territory of the king of Ado
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