SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

Introduction

Colonialism, as distinguished from imperialism, is generally defined as the appropriation, occupation, and control of one territory by another. This simple definition, however, masks a longer and more complex genealogy of the term and concept. The term colonial, derived from the Roman concept of colonia, originally referred to settlement (Rostow, 1960). Roman colonies were viewed as the physical extension of the Roman Empire. This initial use was focused on Roman citizens. These settlements were places where Romans retained their citizenship, a practice reminiscent of extraterritoriality. Colonies were self-sufficient. This definition did not consider the position of the indigenous populations.

The modern use of colonialism includes elements and characteristics that extend far beyond the initial sense of “settlement.” And whereas colonialism always entails the settlement of people from the colonial state to a colonized territory, the practice of colonialism is characterized by more than simply immigration flows. Colonialism has come to refer to the conquest and control of other peoples and other territories. This distinguishes colonialism from another equally complex term, imperialism. This latter term is generally defined as the ideological underpinning of colonial practices (Porter, Sheppard, 1998).

Discussion

There is no essential colonialism. The meanings and interpretations of colonialism are contingent on different eras, different places, and different territorial relationships. These have been shaped by particular contexts of politics, economics, culture, and geography. There is, however, general agreement that our contemporary world geography is a result of European (and American) colonial practices that have occurred over the past five centuries. In effect, these powers constructed the current political world (Huntington, 1968). Modern state boundaries are largely a reflection of colonial histories and rivalries. It is instructive, therefore, to consider how colonies, particularly within the past five centuries, were established, administered, and maintained.

The establishment of colonies is a reflection of geography and a reflection of political intent. Although there is no set pattern, colonies may be established initially through the use or threat of military force. Economic, cultural, and political institutions are introduced subsequently. Colonies may also be established through the imposition of (unequal) treaties. This may likewise be imposed by the threat or actual use of violence. Treaties may also establish a protectorate in which a dependent territory surrenders all or part of its sovereignty to the colonial power (Smith, 1996).

Colonial rule may be established suddenly, or it may be extended over a period of years. The imposition of French rule in Indochina, for example, was completed during a period of 25 years, from the late 1850s to the mid-1880s. The British conquest of Burma was completed over six decades and included two substantial wars. Colonized states, moreover, may witness considerable variation or sequencing of colonialism. The Caribbean island state of Grenada, for example, was initially colonized by the French in 1650; over the next three centuries, it alternated from French and British colonial control until it achieved independence in 1974. The Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, colonized by the Dutch in 1636, likewise changed in colonial affiliation among the Dutch, ...