A country is governed to colonial power, if it prevails over colonies, thus also regions outside of its motherland.

In history

As the first colonial power the Roman realm, which had a re-clamping world realm, is considered to history.

In the Middle Ages there was above all the Wikinger/Normannen those numerously colonies in Europe and America created, contrary to other powers assimilated it usually into the strange culture and often became founder new realms and states, like that normandy, the Kiewer Rus, Siziliens, Greenland and Newfoundland.

With the beginning of the modern times the colonial thought experienced an upswing, it again due to the discovery America 1492 by Christoph Columbus effected further final hitting a corner travels, Spanish and Portuguese sailor, who contributed to the fact that the iberischen countries conquered and into their rule range integrated America. Later England, the Netherlands and even Sweden (relative small colony new Sweden, was annektiert fast by the dutchmen) with their settlements in North America, India and Southeast Asia associated with it. Of France status as colonial power first the emphasis agitated on the colonies in west Africa and Indochina from its possessions in Canada and Louis IANA, later shifted.

Italy, Germany and Belgium in the second half of the nineteenth century their national unit to only attain could, sought in the race of the imperialism with other European powers to keep up and acquired likewise colonies in Africa (Abessinien, southwest Africa, Cameroon, the Congo) and in the South Seas.

Also Russia and Japan tried end 19. Century their rule area to extend, then expanded Russia over Siberia and central Asia up to the Pacific, during Japan tried the Empire of China and Southeast Asia to conquer. (- > 2. World war). Also the USA, even from colonies followed to acquire tried now also colonies in that it many former Spanish (Spanish-American war: Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines) and German (the First World War: Guam, Marianen, Samoa) colonies took over.

After the world wars, when most colonies reached their independence, the colonial thought at meaning lost. Although France (French Guayana, Neukaledonien), Great Britain (Falklandinseln), which the Netherlands (Netherlands Antilleses) and the USA (Guam, Puerto Rico) still colonies have, speaks one today only rarely of them as colonial powers.

See also

• World power
• Great power
• Developing country
• Kolonisation
• Colonialism
• Imperialism

Articles in category "Colonial power"

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