Why did European countries have colonies?

There were several reasons why the European countries wanted to have colonies. One reason was to gain resources. The Europeans needed raw materials to make products in their factories. They knew they could get these raw materials cheaper from their colonies than they could if they bought them from other countries. read more

One reason why European countries wanted colonies was to have markets for their products. They wanted to export their finished products to other countries and to import raw materials, such as rubber from the Congo, to make these products. read more

Some countries establish colonies simply to expand economically. Or a country wants to create a colony for more farmland so that they can feed their growing population. Since, the bigger the population, the more food is needed, the more water is required, etc. read more

The more colonies you gain, the more military power you have. Battle among European nations didn't just occur inside the European continent, but also outside, particularly between colonies. This explains why the conflict of World War 1 and World War 2 can reach out of Europe. read more