Final answer:
Imperial countries use diverse methods to gain and maintain power, including military conquest and exerting control over colonies and neighboring regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Imperial countries use diverse methods to gain and maintain power. One method employed by imperial countries is military conquest. They would secure foreign territories, establish markets, and invest funds. Additionally, imperial powers would often exercise control over their colonies and attempt to conquer neighboring regions to prevent encroachment on their possessions by other industrial powers. For example, Great Britain competed with Russia for control of Afghanistan to limit Russian access to India, their prized colony.