Imperialism Unit Vocab

Colony

A territory that is controlled and governed by another country

Imperialism

Imperialism is the domination by one country of the political

Exploitation

The unfair use of people

Protectorate

A territory that has its own local government but is controlled or heavily influenced by a more powerful nation

Cash Crop

A crop grown primarily to be sold for profit rather than to feed the local population (such as cotton

Extraction

The process of removing valuable natural resources

Assimilation

The process of forcing or encouraging people to adopt the language

Acculturation

The exchange and adoption of cultural traits that occurs when different groups come into contact with one another.

Resistance

Actions taken by individuals or groups to oppose foreign control

Nationalism

A strong sense of pride

Sovereignty

The right and power of a nation or people to govern themselves without outside interference.

Economic Dependency

A situation in which one country relies heavily on another country for goods

Sphere of Influence

An area in which a powerful nation has special economic or political privileges without directly governing the territory.

Indirect Rule

A system of colonial government in which imperial powers control a territory through local leaders who remain in positions of authority.

Direct Rule

A system of colonial government in which foreign officials directly control the political decisions and administration of a territory.

Paternalism

The belief that one group is responsible for making decisions for another group because they are considered less capable of governing themselves.

Social Darwinism

The belief that some societies or races are naturally superior to others and that powerful nations have the right to dominate weaker ones. This idea was often used to justify imperialism.

Racial Hierarchy

The belief that certain races are superior or inferior to others

Resource Allocation

The way resources such as land

Infrastructure

The basic systems and structures needed for a society to function

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of ideas

Social Stratification

The division of society into different levels or classes based on wealth