Colonizado

Colonizado is an adjective in Spanish and Portuguese (masculine), with feminine forms colonizada/colonizado depending on gender. It means "colonized" and is used to describe a territory, a population, or a person that lived under colonial rule or was subjected to colonization.

In historical and postcolonial discourse, colonized populations faced loss of sovereignty, economic exploitation, social hierarchies, cultural suppression, and forced migrations. The term is used in reference to the processes and consequences of colonization, including settlement by colonizers and imposition of political control, legal systems, languages, and religion.

Geographical scope: from the 15th century onward, colonization occurred across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. European powers such as Spain, Portugal, Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium established colonies and protectorates. The fate of colonized areas varied, with migrations of settlers in some contexts and resistance in others.

Descolonización/descolonização: The mid-20th century marked widespread independence movements; many former colonies are now sovereign states or autonomous territories. In contemporary scholarship, "colonizado" is used to analyze legacies such as economic dependency, cultural hybridity, and political structures shaped by colonial rule.