How to Colonize in Victoria 3

People in the olden days didn’t really have a firm grasp on things like “morality” or “land conservation.” If it was there and it had cool stuff, nations would take it, no matter who they had to step on. It’s not a great chapter in history, but when you’re trying to succeed in Victoria 3, it’s a bit of a necessary evil. Here’s how to colonize in Victoria 3.

How to Colonize in Victoria 3

In Victoria 3, you can establish a remote colony for your nation in any decentralized country or continent. Obviously, doing this won’t endear you to the locals since you’re just kind of swooping in and taking their stuff. On the bright side, though, taking their stuff gives you access to resources and valuable goods, which will help you to develop new items, expand your population, and boost your GDP.

Related: All Playable Nations in Victoria 3

In order to establish a colony elsewhere in the world, you’ll need to follow a few steps, including:

• Research the necessary technology
• Enact colonization laws
• Formally declare your interest in the territory
• Establish the colony and let it grow

Finders Keepers

The first step is research. You can’t go establishing a colony if your nation is still banging rocks together. Check out your Technology Tree and follow the research branches that ultimately lead you to the Colonization node. This unlocks the ability to create a Colonial Affairs Institution, as well as enact laws related to it. Don’t forget to unlock Quinine, Civilising Mission, and Malaria Prevention so you can put more points into your CAI.

Next, you need to officially enact the colonization laws. By unlocking the CAI, you get access to two law options: Colonial Resettlement or Colonial Exploitation. Resettlement is for establishing simple colonies, more for expanding your nation’s footprint and putting excess population. Exploitation is the whole-hog option, allowing your colony to strip the land for its resources and make indentured servants of the local populace. Pass whichever law makes you happy.

Now it’s time to spread the word. Find the Regional Actions tab under the Diplomatic Lens menu, and click the Declare Interests button. This allows you to officially tell neighboring nations that you’re planning on setting up a colony for one reason or another in a territory that doesn’t explicitly belong to you.

Once you’ve declared your intent, you’ll get a readout on the map of every possible spot you can get a colony going, with available options highlighted in green. Find the place you want to put down roots and click the Establish Colony button, also in the Diplomatic Lens menu. With this, a timer will appear above the spot you picked and begin counting down. The speed at which this occurs depends on the size of your nation’s population, as well as your CAI level. When it hits zero, your colony will officially be up and running.

Congratulations, you’ve established a colony in a land you don’t own to harvest resources that don’t belong to you! Yay, I guess!