Decolonization of the World

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August 15, 1947, was a remarkable day. Because after 340 years of British rule in India and Pakistan, India was free from British rule. They protested. They marched. And now, they were free. They were not the first to endure this.

Colonization is when one group of people control the land of other people. For example, the British, French, Swedish, Spanish, and Dutch set up colonies in the area of present-day America. The United States purchased and conquered many lands, expanding from a medium-sized country on the North American east coast to a coast-to-coast superpower. They even colonized/controlled areas outside of the current controlled area and protected smaller nations in the Caribbean, and Central America, and small Oceanian countries I mentioned here. They set up a colony in Africa (Liberia), and after the Spanish-American War in 1898, the Philippines.

However, the most colonized continent is Africa. Many European powers and the US colonized portions of the continent. The first was a Portuguese port near the Strait of Gibraltar. After that, countries started to colonize. Most colonies were ports that exported valuable goods to their mother country. The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 in Berlin laid out the colonies of 12 European powers, the Ottoman Empire, and the United States. France controlled a huge portion of the continent, including a huge chunk of northwestern Africa, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, Gabon. The UK had got a big portion of western and southern Africa, Italy gained Eritrea, part of Somalia, Germany controlled Cameroon, Togo, Tanzania, and Namibia. Portugal colonized Angola, Mozambique, and some smaller countries, while Spain controlled Western Sahara, and Belgium colonized the D. R. Congo. South Africa, Abyssinia (Ethiopia), and Liberia were the only independent countries in Africa during WWII. Allied powers annexed the German colonies of Togo, Tanzania, Namibia, and Cameroon. From 1960 and 1980, all African countries were free from European rule, with three countries gaining independence from other African countries.

In 1920, the UK possessed an empire larger than any other. It ruled over large countries such as Sudan, Canada, Australia, India, and Pakistan. Of course, many countries had gained independence from the UK. Chances are, you are from a country whose territory was controlled by Great Britain, partially or fully. The British have invaded 65-90% of all countries in the world, depending on what is “invading.” Even today, the sun doesn’t set on the British empire, as it still holds colonies/bases in South America, the Caribbean, Oceania, the Indian Ocean, Cyprus, and the Atlantic Ocean. But even though the UK has an enormous empire, it doesn’t have the most Exclusive Economic Zone (the areas where they control all economic activity). That title goes to France. France has an enormous EEZ that spans the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania.

So, what happened in India? Well, hundreds of local kingdoms made up British Raj, all governing themselves, but giving some freedoms to the UK. But during WWII, the UK most military decisions for British Raj. The UK had Raj fight Japan without their local leaders’ consent, which made them want independence. The Muslims of Pakistan and Bangladesh, however, did not want their country dominated by Hindus and wanted their own country. When it became clear that one country would not work, the UK split the Raj into Pakistan and India. Pakistan was mostly Muslim, while India was predominately Hindu. What followed was widespread violence between Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. More than 14 million minority families had to migrate, leaving them to be harassed by people of the other religions, and 2 million dead.

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Level 55
Aug 11, 2020
Please tell me if there are any mistakes in my writing.
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Level 44
Aug 12, 2020
The final Paragraph, it says Muslins.
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Level 55
Aug 13, 2020
Oh, thank you.
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Level 55
Nov 19, 2020
: )
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Level 67
Aug 14, 2020
Not sure if you can say Liberia was a colony of the US, not that US ever sent a governor there.
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Level 55
Aug 16, 2020
Well, you can count it as a "temporary occupation", too. I personally think it counts as a colony.