RISKy Geography

Geography was a major factor in determining the outcome of the 19th century. It was geography that first prompted expansion, determined the outcome of attempts at it, and that then necessitated further colonization and imperialism to support the expansion.
The industrial revolution created a need for raw materials that Europe for the most part could not supply. This was because of the physical geography of Europe, which was not only naturally small, but also not ideal for certain types of agricultural needs. Europe exported the making, mining and farming of raw materials to places better suited for each need, fueling the economy.
Of course, expansion into the lands of other peoples necessitated either a peaceful agreement, or a successful conquering army. As seen in our RISK game, peaceful conquering requires mutual cultural understanding. Because Europe is relatively isolated from the rest of the world by various large bodies of water, a peaceful takeover was much more difficult. This forced EUrope to resort to force, the effectiveness of which was, of course, greatly affected by geography. The farther the trip, the more difficult it is to carry weaponry, as you can only put so much metal and so many people on a ship before it sinks. WHile the Europeans may have developed faster, fancier ships, they still couldn't just hop over oceans, so if reinforcements or supplies of any kind were needed, you had to wait the length of TWO trips across the sea: one to deliver the message, one to actually bring the stuff. And once a land was colonized, it was very separate from its now-leaders, and so more difficult to control, which I think is one of the reasons Europe lost its grip on so many colonies in the 20th century. Nobody likes being colonized, but the Europeans sure liked to colonize others.
Once they started, they couldn't stop. It was the eternal quest for power, and became something just short of an addiction for all Eurpoeans, from the leaders to ordinary "folks back home." But it wasn't only the quest for power: Europe had a stronger need for expansion. As you may have noticed, in terms of land-mass, Europe is pretty small for the amount of countries it contains. As a quote from Strayer says, "If you wish to avoid civil war, then you must become an imperialist." Europe was so small that the issue of where to put everyone began to arise; so naturally the already-colonists turned towards the rest of the world to live in. If Erope hadn't been so small, it is doubtful so many people would have felt the need to leave in order to have the space to do as they needed.
If the world was flat and even, with no real geography, countries would expand the way trees grow: by adding layers at a time. But because of the presence of oceans, mountains, and other such barriers, and the various benefits of certain parts of the globe as opposed to others, the globe was colonized in seemingly random patterns, with colonies from India to the Americas to the Southern tip of Africa. Just as colonialism defines the history of many countries, geography defines the history of colonialism.