COLONIZATION IN MODERN TIMES

Consequences of Colonization in Modern Times

Ana Fernanda López Valdés - A00836131

What does the author refer to by the term "artificial states"?

"Artifcial states are those in which political borders do not coincide with a division of nationalities desired by the people on the ground" (Alesina, Easterly & Matuszeski, 2006). In other words, artificial states occurred when colonizing nations arbitrarily established borders that ignored the ethnic , religious or linguistic context of the area. According to Alesina, this has resulted in economic issues and conflicts in the areas affected, such as Africa.

How does colonization affect modern independent countries that used to be colonies?

As Caldwell (2017) states, the impact of colonization is still present in modern independent countries, leaving them "unprepared to function in the modern global nation-state system and vulnerable to outside influence and pressure". The author further explains that after gaining independence, colonies were unprepared to consolidate themselves as nations, creating long-lasting political instability. Additionally, as economic activities depended on supplying the colonizing country, countries were left with little infrastructure and economic capability. Lastly, the imposition of the culture of the colonizing country creates a long-lasting cultural heritage and , in most cases, homogenization (Blakemore, 2023).

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What is neocolonialism?

Neocolonialism refers to "the control of the economic and political systems of one state by a more powerful state, usually the control of a developing country by a developed one" (Oxford Reference, 2023). For instance, the influence that the US held over countries such as Honduras and Guatemala in both trade and politics.

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The Effects of Colonization in Mexico

Property and production in agriculture and pastoralism affected socioecosystems and transformed landscapes over time (Candiani, 2021). Mexico's natural resources, especially precious metals, were over-exploited and sent to Europe, changing the country's ecology. Lastly, economic communication with countries due to trading routes made possible the economic growth of the country (Martínez, 2021). However, after the Independence, the social segregation between Criollos and Mestizos caused inner conflicts that would carry on for centuries after Independence.

Hernán Cortés first set foot in what would be known as Mexico in 1519, and since then Spain ruled the area for 300 years. First of all, the indigenous population diminished by 85%, due partly to their exploitation as workers, and mainly to the diseases brought by the Spaniards (Euronews, 2019). There was a "mestizaje", biologically and culturally speaking, after which the traditions, religion (mainly Catholic), language and food evolved into Mexico's current culture.

References

• Alesina, A., Easterly, W., & Matuszeski, J. (2009). Artificial States. Journal of the European Economic Association. https://wcfia.harvard.edu/files/wcfia/files/alesina_artificialstates.pdf
• Blakemore, E. (2023). What is Colonialism? National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/colonialism#:~:text=Colonialism's%20impacts%20include%20environmental%20degradation,outlast%20one%20group's%20colonial%20rule.
• Caldwell, M. (2017). The Effects of Colonization: How it Happened and How it Still Continues. Medium. https://medium.com/@megancaldwell62/the-effects-of-colonization-how-it-happened-and-how-it-still-continues-b463350d1ac5
• Candiani, V. (2021). Social and Ecological Impacts of Conquest and Colonization in New Spain. Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34726/chapter-abstract/296487047?redirectedFrom=fulltext
• Euronews. (2019). La conquista española causó merma del 85 % de la población indígena en México. https://es.euronews.com/2019/05/08/la-conquista-espanola-causo-merma-del-85-de-la-poblacion-indigena-en-mexico
• Martínez, R. (2021). El impact de la Conquista. Mediateca INAH. https://mediateca.inah.gob.mx/repositorio/islandora/object/libro%3A925#:~:text=El%20impulso%20de%20nuevas%20v%C3%ADas,transporte%20entre%20Europa%20y%20Am%C3%A9rica.&text=El%20inici%C3%B3%20de%20la%20mundializaci%C3%B3n,el%20surgimiento%20del%20comercio%20transatl%C3%A1ntico.&text=El%20ma%C3%ADz%2C%20la%20papa%2C%20el,impacto%20en%20la%20alimentaci%C3%B3n%20mundial.

• Oxford Reference. (2023). Neo-colonialism. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100228195

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