Week 8: Slide (23) Environmental Impact of European Imperialism Flashcards
How did European imperialism disrupt regional economies in colonized areas?
Local economies were often forced to shift from subsistence farming to producing cash crops for export, which disrupted traditional practices and made regions dependent on imported food.
Why did food imports become necessary in many colonized regions under European imperialism?
Farmers were required to grow cash crops for export rather than food for local consumption, creating food shortages and dependence on imported goods.
True or False: The primary purpose of cash crop production in colonies was to benefit the local population.
False. Cash crops were cultivated to benefit European economies, with little regard for the needs of local producers.
What are environmental externalities, and who often bears these costs in the context of imperialism?
Environmental externalities are the unintended environmental costs of economic activities, often borne locally by colonized or less wealthy regions while benefiting richer nations.
Multiple Choice: Which group primarily benefited from cash crops grown in colonies?
A) Local farmers
B) European markets
C) Indigenous communities
D) Subsistence agriculture program
B
Describe one environmental impact of European imperialism on colonized lands.
Extensive land degradation and deforestation occurred due to the focus on monoculture cash crops and resource extraction, leading to ecological damage that affected local communities.
What is meant by the statement “Capitalism doesn’t care about formal and informal processes of trade” in the context of imperialism?
It suggests that capitalism prioritizes profit and resource extraction regardless of whether trade agreements or labor practices are fair or beneficial to local populations.
Why are the environmental effects of European imperialism often described as being “borne locally”?
The ecological degradation and pollution resulting from resource extraction and cash crop farming impacted the colonized regions directly, while the economic benefits accrued to European powers.
Fill in the blank: The economic system that prioritizes profit and private ownership, which drove European imperialism and global resource extraction, is known as __________.
Capitalism
Fill in the blank: In economics, costs or impacts of production that are not reflected in the market price and are often borne by local communities or the environment are known as __________.
environmental externalities
