geography
With reference to specific geographic regions critically discuss the legacy of colonialism for LDCs
Colonialism in the dictionary of geography (Clark, 2003) has four definitions, two of which really jumped out to me, “the economic, political and social policies by which colonies are governed by the sovereign Metropolitan country (the colonial power), usually based on the maintenance of a marked distinction between the governing country and the subordinate (colonial) population.” As well as “in a derogatory sense, an alleged policy of exploitation of weak peoples by a large, strong power, which has the effect of perpetuating the economic differences between the colonies and the governing power.” the second definition is more so along the lines of how I’ve interpreted Colonialism in this essay.
This essay will look at colonialism in Latin America and Africa and the legacy that was left behind.
It will briefly discuss the domination that Europe had over these regions at the time as well as look at how that dominance has stayed on and shaped what the region is now today. The term post colonialism can also be given when discussing the ‘legacy of colonialism’
The late 15th century was a time of ‘Great Discoveries’ for European exploration and colonization and the colonial conquests of Spain and Portugal in the Americas was a great historical feat. The indigenous people of the land- approximately 100 million maybe in 1492 (Lockhart and Schwartz, 1983, p.36)- had been isolated for so long that they had no inherited immunities to “Old World” pathogens and were completely vulnerable to ‘virgin soil’ epidemics. Stricken populations could not resist alien conquest and within a single generation of Cortès’s expedition to Mexico (1519-22), most densely populated regions had been brought under Spanish rule. (Waites, 1999, p. 24) colonial powers at the time wanted to change the societies of these countries to mimic that which they left behind. “The conquerors sought to
Colonialism in the dictionary of geography (Clark, 2003) has four definitions, two of which really jumped out to me, “the economic, political and social policies by which colonies are governed by the sovereign Metropolitan country (the colonial power), usually based on the maintenance of a marked distinction between the governing country and the subordinate (colonial) population.” As well as “in a derogatory sense, an alleged policy of exploitation of weak peoples by a large, strong power, which has the effect of perpetuating the economic differences between the colonies and the governing power.” the second definition is more so along the lines of how I’ve interpreted Colonialism in this essay.
This essay will look at colonialism in Latin America and Africa and the legacy that was left behind.
It will briefly discuss the domination that Europe had over these regions at the time as well as look at how that dominance has stayed on and shaped what the region is now today. The term post colonialism can also be given when discussing the ‘legacy of colonialism’
The late 15th century was a time of ‘Great Discoveries’ for European exploration and colonization and the colonial conquests of Spain and Portugal in the Americas was a great historical feat. The indigenous people of the land- approximately 100 million maybe in 1492 (Lockhart and Schwartz, 1983, p.36)- had been isolated for so long that they had no inherited immunities to “Old World” pathogens and were completely vulnerable to ‘virgin soil’ epidemics. Stricken populations could not resist alien conquest and within a single generation of Cortès’s expedition to Mexico (1519-22), most densely populated regions had been brought under Spanish rule. (Waites, 1999, p. 24) colonial powers at the time wanted to change the societies of these countries to mimic that which they left behind. “The conquerors sought to