Settler colonies

Definition

Settler colonies refer to territories where Europeans established permanent settlements during the era of colonization, displacing indigenous populations in order to establish political control and extract resources for their own benefit.

Related terms

Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country or territory, occupying it with settlers, exploiting its resources, and imposing socio-cultural practices.

Plantation economies: Economic systems based on large-scale agriculture focused on cash crops such as sugar or cotton that were cultivated using enslaved labor.

Decolonization: The process by which colonized nations regain control over their own territories and assert independence from colonial powers.