The action of annexing something, especially territory, by incorporating it into an existing political unit.
From Latin 'annexus', past participle of 'annectere' meaning to bind to or fasten to, from 'ad-' (to) + 'nectere' (to bind). The political sense developed from the literal meaning of physical attachment or connection.
Annexation differs from conquest in that it implies a legal or administrative process rather than purely military takeover. The 1845 annexation of Texas remains controversial because Texas was an independent republic that chose to join the United States, unlike territories taken by force.
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