Established control over a place and its people, usually taking resources and imposing culture; settled or occupied an area.
From Latin 'colonus' (settler/farmer), from 'colere' meaning to dwell or cultivate. The modern sense developed as European nations began aggressive expansion in the 1500s-1800s.
Colonization caused one of the biggest population collapses in human history—diseases like smallpox killed an estimated 90% of Native American populations. The word 'colonized' has become politically charged because it represents centuries of exploitation, extraction, and cultural destruction.
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