- For the biological meaning of colony, see colony (biology). For human colonies outside Earth, see space colonization.
In politics and in history, a
colony is an administrative unit under the control of another entity (usually an autonomous state) geographically
distant.
Vocabulary
In the modern usage, colony is generally distinguished from oversea possession. In the former case, the
local population, or at least the part of it not coming from the controlling country, does not enjoy full citizenship rights. The
political process is generally restricted, especially excluding questions of independence. In the latter case, citizens are equal
regardless of origin and it is possible for legal independentist movements to form; should they gain a majority in the oversea
possession, the question of independence may be brought, for instance, to referendum.
Colony may also be used for countries that, while independent or considering themselves independent of a former
colonizing power, still have a political and social structure where the rulers are a minority originating from the colonizing
power. Such was the case with Rhodesia after the Unilateral Declaration of
Independence.
History
Originally, as with the ancient (Hellenic) Greek
apoikia, the term colonization referred to the foundation of a new
city or settlement, more often than not with nonviolent means (but see for instance the Athenian re-colonisation of Melos after wiping out the earlier settlement). The term colony is
derived from the Latin colonia, which indicated a place meant
for agricultural activities; these Roman colonies and others like them were
in fact usually either conquered so as to be inhabited by these workers, or else established as a cheap way of securing conquests
made for other reasons. The name of the German city Cologne also derives from colonia. In the modern era, communities founded by colonists or settlers became known as settler colonies.
The "age of imperialism" began in th 15th century with the initiation of the vast Spanish
Empire in the Americas and lasted until the mid-20th century with the
dismantling of the British Empire. During these centuriesEuropean states and others took political control of much of the world's population and
landmass. The term "colony" came to mean an overseas district with a majority indigenous population, administered by a distant colonial government. (Exceptions occurred: Russian colonies in Central Asia and
Siberia, and German colonies in Eastern Europe were not "overseas"; British colonies (or "overseas territories") like the Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha lacked a native population.) Most non-European countries were colonies of Europe at one
time or another, or were handled in a quasi-colonial manner.
The independence of these colonies began with that of 13 colonies of Britain that formed the United States, finalised in 1783 with the conclusion of a war begun in
1776, and has continued until about the present time, with for example Algeria and East Timor being relinquished
by European powers only in 1962 and 1975 respectively
(although the latter was forcibly made an Indonesian possession instead of
becoming fully independent). This process is called decolonization, though the use of a single term obscures an important distinction between the
process of the settler population breaking its links with the mother country while
maintaining local political supremacy and that of the indigenous
population reasserting themselves (possibly through the expulsion of the settler population).
See also: British Empire, Spanish Empire, French colonial
empire, Colonialism, Colonial mentality ,Colonization, British Nationality Law, Slavery, Imperialism, New Imperialism, settler.
Compare protectorate, Crown colony, dominion.
The Latin name colonia also became the name of several towns, the most famous of which is Cologne.
Colonies in ancient civilizations (examples)
See also Colonies in antiquity
Recent colonies (examples)
Modern oversea possessions
See also Dependent area. None of the listed countries own
"colonies".
British Dependencies
The following are Crown dependencies;
France
France has not had colonies since the 1960s.
All citizens of the listed territorial entities enjoy full French citizenship rights, including the right to vote for
national elections. All the inhabited entities, whatever their status, are represented by deputies and senators to the national
parliament.
Some former colonies chose tight association with the rest of France and were incorporated as oversea départements: Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, French Guiana, with much the same status as the
départements of mainland France or Corsica. They consistute "ultra-peripheral" regions of the European Union. The statuses of St.
Pierre and Miquelon and the island of Mayotte (which insisted not to become
independent as part of the now independent Comoros islands) are close.
The following two oversea territories enjoy some substantial legislative autonomy and have a separate currency (the CFP Franc). Whether they will choose independence in the future is an open question.
The following possessions are uninhabited, save for scientific, military or administrative personnel:
See also: Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific
oceans
U.S. Oversea dependencies and possessions
Note: Citizens of U.S. oversea possessions, including Puerto Rico, do not have the right to vote in U.S. federal
elections. The U.S. Department of State uses the
term Insular areas to refer to the areas listed below (with the exception
of Guantanamo Bay and Iraq). Although the U.S. state of Hawaii is an island and is technically overseas from the rest of the U.S., it is fully a state of the Union
and shares equal status under the U.S. constitution with all of
the other states.
Dutch Dependencies
Danish Dependencies
|