Imperialism was adopted by Europe in order to expand its economic and political base. Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means. By colonizing other parts of the world, European powers were able to extract resources and labor from these regions, which helped to fuel economic growth and increase their political power. European countries also used imperialism as a way to establish and maintain dominance over other regions of the world. This allowed them to compete with each other for territory and resources, and to project their influence on a global scale.