Unit 6: Topic 5 - Economic Imperialism Flashcards
Banana Republic
A politically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the export of natural resources. Typically, a banana republic has a society of extremely stratified social classes, usually a large, impoverished working class and a ruling class plutocracy composed of the business, political, and military elites. The ruling class controls the primary sector of the economy by way of the exploitation of labor.
Economic Imperialism
Imperial powers take over or dominate the colonial economies, rather than the government structure, by exploiting the colonies dependence on trade and raw materials in order to achieve its goals. The banana republics of Central America are good examples.
Spheres of Influence
A spatial region or concept division over which a state or organization has a level of cultural, economic, military, or political exclusivity.
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking ended the first Opium War. It was an unequal agreement between China and Britain, an imperialist power. China gave Hong Kong to Britain, opened four additional ports to foreigners, and pay for the damages of the Opium War. It forced China to allow free trade which included opium.
Culture System
Forced farmers to choose between growing cash crops for export or performing corvèe labor, compulsory unpaid labor. For farmers living on the Spice Islands, this meant that they had to set aside a fifth of their rice fields for export crops or work in a government field for 66 days
Spice Islands
An archipelago in modern-day Indonesia, known as the Maluku Islands, were known as the Spice Islands due to the nutmeg, mace, and cloves that were exclusively found there and sparked colonial interest from Europe in the sixteenth century. Was controlled by the Dutch East India Company until the Dutch revoked their charter in 1799. In 1830, the residents of the Spice Islands were forced to live under the brutal Culture System until 1870.
Gold Coast
A section of the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in Africa that was an important source of gold. Became the largest cocoa producer in the world after the cash crop was introduced to the region in the 1880s.
Opium Wars
Two wars fought in the mid-1800s that were the climax of a long dispute between China and Britain. In the second, France fought alongside Britain. This dispute centered on the British India-grown opium import into China. The Qing emperor had banned opium in China, citing its harmful effects on health and deleterious impact on societal productivity. The British Empire, while also banning opium consumption within her border, saw no problem exporting the drug for profit. The Opium Wars and the unequal treaties signed afterwards led in part to the downfall of the Qing empire, as many countries followed Britain and forced unequal terms of trade with China.
