What's the difference between colonization and expansion?

In principle, there is no difference between colonies and territorial expansion, but colonies only need to be taken away and do not need to bear any obligations. However, territorial expansion is directly managed by the central government, which requires a lot of manpower and material resources to integrate the new territory with the mainland, just as British colonies belong to short-term interests, while Russian territorial expansion is long-term interests.

Colony refers to the occupation of land (including ownerless land, such as uninhabited islands), after which a large number of indigenous immigrants developed and broke the population balance. The chief executive of the colony was appointed by the central government rather than elected, and the rights of the colonial people could not meet the standards of the original sovereign state. Although the status of the ethnic population is higher than that of the natives, it cannot be compared with the natives, and the colonies can also be upgraded to the natives. Northern Ireland, for example, has now become a British mainland.

Colonization is only a stage of occupation, and the long-term purpose of colonization is to turn this land into its homeland. More successful are Alaska and Hawaii in the United States. So colony itself is not a derogatory term, but the long-term use of invaders has caused misunderstanding.