Colonies provide no material benefit. The reason for G-C, Moacia, and Oz being my colonies was a pre-RP plan for RP in which they agreed to RP movements for freedom, which was agreed upon by the rp mods. As of late G-C and Oz have quit RP, and I have annexed Moacia (agreed with Oz, we have more rp planned should he return).
The "colonies to the south" I'm referring to are national territories that I call colonies, according to my former national statistics I 'colonized' them in my history, much as Corsica isn't a part of historical France but is part today. As of right now they are the last vestige of my country, along technically with Moacia which has seperate statistics and an economy vastly similar to the Gaza Strip.