Europeans and colonialism

Around 1,000 BC, colonies were formed around the Mediterranean. Greek cities wanted to make money through trade. The Roman Empire colonised large areas of land and ruled over many people when their empire grew. The Vikings set up colonies in Ireland and in other places.

From the 16th century, European colonialism spread on a large scale outside Europe.

Illustrasjon fra 1800-tallet av et møte i Kongo mellom Europere og Afrikansk urfolk
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 wants to make money by getting goods and raw materials from the area.The goods and materials are taken back to the colonial power and sometimes back to the colony. The colony will then become a market. The native people were often forced to do slave work for the colonial power. 

Colonisation was often a combination of economic and strategic reasons.

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Antique photograph of the British Empire: Annexation of the territory of the king of Ado
Antique photograph of the British Empire: Annexation of the territory of the king of Ado

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