colonize

/ˈkä-lə-ˌnīz/

verb

  1. to take control of (a people or area) especially as an extension of state power : to claim (someone or something) as a colony

  2. to migrate to and settle in (an inhabited or uninhabited area) : to establish a colony in

  3. to spread to and develop in a new area or habitat

areas colonized by European powers

the areas of New England colonized by the Puritans