Final answer:
Economic factors drove imperialism in the 19th century by motivating industrialized nations to gain control over regions with low-cost resources and no competing mass-produced goods. They extracted raw materials and used forced labor to benefit their economies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Economic factors were a major driving force behind imperialism in the 19th century. Industrialized nations sought to gain direct or indirect control over other parts of the world that had low-cost resources and no competing mass-produced goods. They exploited these regions for raw materials like rubber, which were shipped back to Europe to be turned into finished products. The colonial regimes also expropriated land from the native people and forced them into labor to fuel their economies.