▁colonial ▁powers . ▁ ▁Econom ics ▁ ▁To ▁some ▁colon izers , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁British , ▁the ▁ideal ▁col ony ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁open ▁economy , ▁act ively ▁engaged ▁in ▁world ▁trade ▁through ▁the ▁export ▁of ▁raw ▁materials ▁and ▁the ▁import ▁of ▁finished ▁goods . ▁The ▁British ▁pract iced ▁a ▁policy ▁of ▁light ▁administration , ▁enfor cing ▁relatively ▁little ▁reg ulation ▁on ▁their ▁colon ies , ▁especially ▁in ▁non - e conom ic ▁matters . ▁As ▁long ▁as ▁British ▁interests ▁were ▁achieved , ▁native ▁populations ▁were ▁given ▁greater ▁individual ▁fre ed oms . ▁However , ▁other ▁colon izers , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁French , ▁took ▁a ▁more ▁active ▁approach ▁to ▁govern ance , ▁encourag ing ▁or ▁even ▁requiring ▁their ▁subjects ▁to ▁more ▁fully ▁assim il ate ▁into ▁French ▁culture . ▁ ▁Col on izers ▁were ▁under ▁heavy ▁political ▁pressure ▁to ▁make ▁their ▁colon ies ▁immediately ▁and ▁continu ously ▁prof itable . ▁In ▁almost ▁all ▁cases , ▁this ▁constraint ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁short age ▁of ▁long - term ▁invest ment ▁from ▁the ▁mother ▁countries ▁into ▁the ▁economic ▁development ▁in ▁their ▁colon ies . ▁While ▁these ▁countries ▁did ▁fin ance ▁some ▁major ▁infrastr ucture ▁projects ▁designed ▁to ▁facil itate ▁trade , ▁this ▁was ▁primarily ▁to ▁aid ▁in ▁the ▁immediate ▁extra ction ▁of ▁valuable ▁resources , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁little ▁to ▁no ▁invest ment ▁into ▁growing ▁local ▁business . ▁Another ▁reason ▁colonial ▁govern ments ▁allowed ▁local ▁econom ies ▁to ▁lag ▁behind ▁was ▁that ▁compet itive ▁local ▁indust ries ▁would ▁have ▁reduced ▁the ▁colon ies