The process of establishing control over and settling in an area, typically involving the subjugation of indigenous peoples. In biology, the establishment of a species in a new habitat.
From Latin 'colonia' meaning 'settlement, farm,' from 'colonus' (farmer, settler), derived from 'colere' (to cultivate, inhabit). The suffix '-ization' was added to create the process noun, entering English in the 17th century during the age of European expansion.
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