History - Europe Colonized Nearly The Entire World

The map above is from Vox.com. Most people understand that in centuries past the nations of Europe colonized many other countries -- but when it is put on a map like this, it is sort of shocking. It turns out that there were far more than just a portion of the world colonized -- Europe colonized almost the entire world. It turns out that only four countries were able to avoid being colonized (for different reasons). Here's how Vox explains that:

There are only four countries that escaped European colonialism completely. Japan and Korea successfully staved off European domination, in part due to their strength and diplomacy, their isolationist policies, and perhaps their distance. Thailand was spared when the British and French Empires decided to let it remained independent as a buffer between British-controlled Burma and French Indochina. Japan, however, colonized both Korea and Thailand itself during its early-20th-century imperial period.