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In the 18th and 19th centuries, the European superpowers seized territories outside Europe that came to be called colonies, located for the most part in Africa and Asia. The superpowers ruled the colonies by means of military force and a system of local government. The local population was stripped of its natural and human resources, which were exploited to meet the needs of the colonizing superpowers. Furthermore, in addition to human and economic exploitation, the superpowers often tried to impose their religion and culture on the indigenous peoples.
