Empire: an extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, formerly especially an emperor or empress.
>It does however have states that are second-class citizens
Colony: a country or area under the full or partial political control of another country, typically a distant one, and occupied by settlers from that country.
>lots of other countries which are independent but also to some extent economically and militarily subordinate, in which the US State Department feels entitled to influence policy
>It does however have states that are second-class citizens
Colony: a country or area under the full or partial political control of another country, typically a distant one, and occupied by settlers from that country.
>lots of other countries which are independent but also to some extent economically and militarily subordinate, in which the US State Department feels entitled to influence policy