Colonialism (1)

The word colonialism is often used interchangeably with imperialism. Colonialsim is defined by Wikipedia as "the extensiion of a nation's sovereignty over territory beyond its borders by the the establishment of either settler colonies or administrative dependencies in which indigenous populations are directly ruled or displaced." Most colonies are separated by an ocean from the ruling nation. Webster's New World College Dictionary (4th ed.) defines an empire as "A state uniting many territories and peoples under a single sovereign power." If there is expansion of a nation by the acquisition of contiguous peoples the term imperialism appears more proper. Examples of land-based empires include the Mongol Empire, the Empire of Alexander the Great, the Persian Empire, the Roman Empire, and the Byzantine Empire. My reason for getting into this is that I am studying the colonization of America.