The Economic and Political Consequences of Colonialism

Document Type:Essay

Subject Area:Politics

Document 1

Most of the former British colonies for example, are still inclined to the colonial rules and regulations that bound the development and the various initiatives that were introduced in such countries. The British colonial rule in Hong Kong and South Africa had some underlying effects that are still being felt up to date. The colonialization spree also introduced a lot of new developments which changed the entire political system through the introduction of new and most advanced methodologies in such countries. The purpose of this study is to examine the economic and political consequences of colonialism in Hong Kong and South Africa. The Colonial Rule in Hong Kong The colonial rule in Hong Kong was characterized by many new developments. The Economic Impacts of British Rule in Hong and South Africa The British Rule in Hong brought significant impacts to the economic situation of the country.

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It is one of the major development concepts in the country that has allowed for massive developments in the country. The British rule in Hong Kong, therefore, led to massive developments in the economic situation of the country. This was also the same case with the economic development in South Africa that also realized one of the highest development concepts in the country which were all brought by the British rule. It is worth noting that the British rule in both Hong Kong and South Africa had both the positive economic impacts and also the negative economic impacts. The rail transport system in Hong Kong also greatly changed and influenced the transport system as people could move with ease and it also allowed the free movement of goods to the market.

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It is worth noting that South Africa has one of the most developed infrastructure systems in Africa. The infrastructure system in South Africa (Cohen et al. Furthermore, the British colonialization in Hong Kong has led to massive developments of industrialization in the country. Most industries developed during this time in the region and this was mostly due to massive demands for goods and services that could otherwise change the market structure in the country. Urbanization and urban centers grew extensively and this played a major role in changing and shaping the massive growth of towns in the area. The places where type British set up the industries in the region greatly developed and they become some well-known urban centers which are still operational up to date. The development of the transport system also promoted the development and the creation of massive developments in the area.

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These urban centres that emerged in Hong Kong also created positive economic growth in the region. The massive economic development that was witnessed in the region was also directly catalyzed by the British rule in the country. The development in the business industry also changed the scope and the face of the economic development in the country and during the British rule in Hong Kong, the region was recognized as the best hub for business and other development initiatives that were initiated in the country. The British rule in South Africa also led to the development of trade in the country and it made the country one of the hubs of trade and business activities in the region (Herschensohn 109) The British in Hong Kong also created massive job opportunities for local people.

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The various development initiatives required the whole attachment and application of the effective labor force in the development process. The development in urban centres, and also in the infrastructure sector wanted people to work in such areas and this provided massive development initiatives in the country. The people who were employed by the British had greater development and this boosted their economic scale greatly. The British exploited these resources and used them to their own advantage leaving the real owners of the resources wallowing in poverty. The exploitation of these resources has become the major issue of concern up to date with some people claiming the British for various injustices to the local people (Duignan & Lewis 78). Political Consequences of British Colonialization in Hong Kong and South Africa The British rule and colonization in both Hong Kong and South Africa played a lead role in shaping the political system in these countries.

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The British created a new form of government in Hong Kong. In this case, the Hong Kong government was composed of majorly the British and some representatives of the local people. The introduction of the democratic political system in the country also helped in shaping the politics of Hong Kong. The introduction of some democratic form of government had a direct influence on the general political system in Hong Kong and how the country was running in general. The political form of government was introduced to substitute the traditional system of government that was mostly applied in Hong Kong before the colonial rule and this greatly changes the scope of British rule in Hong Kong. The same changes were also seen in South Africa. Before the British conquest in South Africa, there were various tribal groups and each tribal system had its own type of leadership.

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 Hong Kong at the Handover. Lanham (Md. Lexington Books, 2000. Print. Elliot, Elsie, and James Hogan. Print. Rioni, S. G. Hong Kong in Focus: Political and Economic Issues. Nova Print, 2002 Kwong, Pang Li. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1973. Print Ward, Stuart.  British Culture and the End of Empire. Manchester: Manchester Univ. Press, 2001.

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