Protectorate is a country under the protection and partial control of another country. The term is also used to describe the relationship between the two countries. In this relationship, one country gives up part of its sovereignty (freedom from outside control) to a more powerful country in exchange for military protection. A treaty often defines the nature and limits of a country’s control over its protectorate.
Protectorate relationships can take many forms. They can be mutually helpful partnerships in the interest of security, or they can be steps toward complete take-over by a dominant nation. Protectorates differ from colonies in that most protectorates retain control over their internal affairs, and their people do not become subjects of the protecting power. However, the distinctions between colonies and protectorates are often blurred.
Protectorates have existed throughout history. The Roman Empire held forms of protectorates in the ancient world. However, the term is most often associated with European imperialism (extension of control over other countries or territories) in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. In that period, for example, the United Kingdom held protectorates in such places as Egypt, Nigeria, and Uganda. By the late 1900’s, nationalism and demands for full sovereignty within protected states had caused protectorates to become increasingly rare.
