Ever since Spain and Portugal initiated colonialism during the 15th century’s Age of Discovery, nations across the Americas, Africa, and Asia have been heavily colonized by European powers. Indeed, around half of today’s independent nations were European colonies at some point.
At its peak in 1914, there were 101 European colonies across nearly every continent, with only a handful retaining independence. But why did these colonized nations never return the favor? Why were Europeans the sole group to spread their control across the globe? Click on to find out.