Taking the measure of empires

Econometric interpretations of the effects of modern colonial domination based on colonial statistics, and research questioning the interactions between colonial empires, colonized populations and international institutions, are sparking renewed interest in imperial statistical production. However, little is known about it.

Discover the seventh session of "Encrypting and deciphering empires, XVIII-XXIth centuries” seminar: "How can we assess the material damage caused by the 1947 Malagasy uprising and its repression? " with Bouda Etemad, Professor Emeritus of Contemporary Economic History at the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva (Switzerland). Author of half a dozen books and some thirty articles on European colonization.

Europe's colonial expansion is massive. It spans nearly five centuries, covers more than two-thirds of the planet's landmass, and touches four continents with more than 160 colonies. One way to understand it is to measure it. With figures, assessing their size, longevity and population composition. Placed end to end, they reveal constants, oppositions and contrasts, enabling colonization to be weighed in a comparative and long-term perspective.