Colonialism benefited nations that were under colony in the way it boosted income generation and played a major part in improving military logistics. The contribution of colonization to economic growth and income generation is evident in the way raw materials and markets for finished goods from the colonies were created. Colonization also contributed to the building of social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. The social infrastructure was key to improvement of standards of living of people in the colonies. Exploration also opened up territories such that places such as the sea that were previously not used become known hence improving geographical knowledge of the locals. Contact between different cultures as a result of exploration was also good since it paved the way for the exchange of beliefs, norms and attitudes thereby contributing to cultural diversity in most nations. Colonization and Exploration are therefore attributed to enhanced intercultural interactions where people from different races were brought together through religions and the need to share political ideologies.
However, the imperialism created by colonization and exploration were adverse for nations since they were denied the freedom they required as a government. Colonized nations felt that their colonizers were telling them what to do and that the latter could run the nation better than the natives. In the end, all benefits were concentrated on the colonizers.
The most affected by colonization and exploration were the indigenous people or the minorities who whose land was taken and who engaged with colonizers in direct and violent conflicts that led to many fatalities. The indigenous people also suffered from cultural erosion hence colonization and exploration resulted in the adoption of a new culture by the majority of locals. The rights of the indigenous people were therefore infringed on thereby making them engage in conflicts as they fought to liberate themselves from the oppressiveness of colonization.
Works Cited
Lyer, Lakshmi. The Long-term Impact of Colonial Rule: Evidence from India. Technical Report. Boston: Harvard Business School, 2004. Document.
Nunn, Nathan and Qian Nancy. "The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and IdeasAuthor." The Journal of Economic Perspectives (2010): 163-188. Document. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25703506>.
