My idea is to have it so that you can claim land before colonization. What would happen is that you would land an expedition in the uncolonized province and the troops there can claim the province as owned by your nation. The option would be available in the same place where the raze colony seize colony options are. Claimed provinces are exactly like unclaimed provinces except that they have the outward appearance of being your territory. You can only build settlements in territory claimed by your nation. Claimed territory can be taken by other nations(except indians) without a declaration of war, though it does give a CB to the nation you took the claim from. It also decreases relations. Provinces with settlements that are not cities can also be taken without a declaration of war with the same results as unsettled provinces.