Natural Resources
Materials or substances found in nature that can be exploited for economic gain, significant in industrial economies, especially in the 19th century.
Guano
Fertilizer made from seabird droppings, highly sought after in 19th-century agriculture for its nutrient content.
Cotton
A cash crop cultivated for textile production, central to the economy and imperial interests in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Rubber
A latex product sourced from tropical trees, became vital for industry and transportation in the late 19th century.
Palm Oil
An edible oil produced from oil palms, valued in Europe for lubrication and cooking, often cultivated under colonial conditions.
Ivory
Material from elephant tusks, prized for its beauty and used in luxury items, significant in trade during the 19th century.
Copper
A metal essential for electrical applications and manufacturing, mined extensively in areas like Chile and the Congo in the late 19th century.
Tin
A metal used for coating and preserving food, gained importance with the rise of canning and was sourced from various colonies.
Gold
A precious metal sought after for wealth and trade, heavily mined in regions such as South Africa and Australia during the 19th century.
Diamonds
Precious stones valued for their rarity and beauty, became a major industry in Africa in the late 19th century, largely controlled by colonial powers.
Cecil Rhodes
A British imperialist and businessman, influential in the diamond industry and the expansion of British colonies in Africa in the late 19th century.
De Beers Mining Company
A major company founded by Cecil Rhodes, it became the largest diamond mining and trading company in the world.
Cash Crops
Agricultural products grown not for subsistence but for sale, leading to economic transformation in colonized regions during the 19th century.
Export Economies
Economies primarily focused on producing goods for international markets, prevalent in colonial regions during the 19th century.
Monocultures
Agricultural practices of growing a single crop, often harmful to biodiversity and soil health, prevalent in colonial economies.
Railroads
Transportation systems using trains, revolutionized transport and resource extraction in the 19th-century colonial contexts.
Steamships
Ships powered by steam, transformed long-distance transportation and trade in the late 19th century, enabling global commerce.
Telegraph
A communication system invented in the 19th century, allowing instantaneous information exchange over long distances, vital for commerce.
Apartheid
A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination established in South Africa in the 20th century, rooted in colonial policies of the 19th century.
Hierarchy
A social structure where individuals or groups are ranked one above the other, significant in colonial societies and imperial governance.
Economic Imperialism
A practice where foreign business interests dominate local economies, often by exploiting resources and labor for profit, prevalent in the late 19th century.
Colonial Holdings
Territories controlled by an imperial power for economic exploitation and strategic advantage, significant in global trade networks by the 1900s.
Spice Islands
A group of islands in Southeast Asia historical for their valuable spices, key to early European exploration and trade monopolies.
Egypt
A North African territory transformed into an export economy, primarily through cash crops like cotton, under British colonial influence in the 19th century.
Sudan
A region that became economically important for cash crops like cotton and was a focus of British imperial interest during colonial times.
Uganda
An East African territory where cash crops such as cotton were promoted under colonial rule, impacting local agricultural practices.
Kenya
An East African colony where British settlers established large farms, often displacing local populations and focusing on cash crop production.
Gold Coast
Modern-day Ghana, known for cocoa production, became a significant cash crop area under British colonial rule in West Africa.
Argentina
A South American country heavily invested in by Britain, becoming a major exporter of agricultural goods during the 19th century.
Treaty of Nanking
An 1842 agreement ending the First Opium War, forced China to cede territory and open ports for trade, impacting Sino-British relations.
Opium War
A conflict between Britain and China (1839-1842) over British opium trade, highlighting economic imperialism's consequences in East Asia.
Natural Resources
Materials found in nature that are exploited for economic gain, crucial during the industrialization period and economic imperialism.
Opium
A narcotic derived from poppies, became a lucrative trade item for Britain in China, leading to addiction and social issues in the 19th century.
Pampas
Fertile lowlands in Argentina, utilized for large-scale farming, particularly for cash crops, facilitating British investment and export economy.
East India Company
A British trading corporation established in 1600, played a central role in the colonial trade of textiles and opium in Asia.
Dutch East India Company
A powerful trading company established in the 17th century, controlling trade and agricultural production in Indonesia and surrounding regions.
Economic Imperialism
A system where foreign powers exert control over local economies for profit, often leading to exploitation and transformation of local agriculture.
Culture System
A Dutch colonial policy requiring Indonesian farmers to produce cash crops for export, significantly altering agricultural practices in the 19th century.
Corvée Labor
Unpaid labor imposed by colonial authorities on local populations, often forced into producing cash crops or working on infrastructure projects.
Spheres of Influence
Areas where foreign nations exert control over trade and resources, particularly evident in China during the late 19th century.
Cash Crop
An agricultural product grown primarily for sale and profit rather than for personal consumption, central to colonial economies in Africa and Asia.
Banana Republics
Politically unstable countries in Central America influenced or controlled by foreign corporations, particularly in the export of bananas.