The destinations were different, but the motives were all the same. The colonizing countries looked for an outlet for economic, religious and political power.
Profitable location was a reoccurring cause of colonization. Countries looked for land where they could easily trade goods. For example, France colonized Vietnam to gain access to the Mekong Delta, prime location for trading. Britain colonizing India to trade with the East India Company is another occasion of this happening. In East Asia, Korea was much sought after for its strategic location in between China and Japan.
European countries also colonized land to introduce Christianity to the native people. Brazil is a perfect example of this motive. The Portuguese papal grant that allowed colonization entailed the conversion of the natives to Christianity. This started the Portuguese construction of Christian churches in Brazil. Mexico is another Latin American country that experienced this religious shift, except this time due to the Spanish conquest.
Many countries also needed the land and climate in order to grow certain raw materials. Drawing from the world of “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad, Belgium colonized the Democratic Republicof Congo to reach a virgin source of rubber. It was essential to colonize the Congo because Belgium needed the rubber for industrial advancements and it was not available in their motherland.
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