Colonialism is the policy or practice by which one country installs a settlement of its people on the lands of another society. Usually, a colonizing country also quickly establishes political control over the other society. Colonialism is generally associated with the European overseas expansion that began about 1500. But it has occurred in most parts of the world and in most historical eras, even the most ancient.
Through the centuries, nations have established colonies primarily for economic reasons. For example, nations have set up colonies to gain privileged access to prized manufactured items, to obtain opportunities for profitable investments, to secure access to raw materials, or to provide markets for their goods. They have also sent out colonists to search for precious metals or to trade for scarce and valuable spices and specialized crops. In some cases, religious organizations strongly supported colonization efforts as a way of gaining converts among nonbelievers. However, religious conversion of native peoples rarely ranked as the primary reason for colonization.
Colonizing powers often possessed superior technologies or at least had advanced military weapons or tactics. For example, the Spanish expeditions against the Indians of Central and South America during the 1500's succeeded in part because the Spaniards had superior weapons. Their metal swords and armor and their muskets gave them a great advantage over the Indians, who had never developed such weapons.
Colonialism is similar to imperialism, which involves one country having political or economic control over another society. The two are often associated because imperial powers typically establish colonies in societies they control. See Imperialism.
