Why did Venice send colonists to Hudson Bay in my ongoing game of EU3? What would Venice IRL ever have gained by colonizing that area? Why did Russia send colonists to South Africa?
In real history, it's true that countries like Sweden and Denmark formed colonies in America and Africa, but these colonies were of limited importance economically and Sweden did not shed many tears when the Dutch took over "New Sweden" at the Delaware River and the British later incorporated it into The Thirteen Colonies.
But yes! The colonization of the world needs to be more logical and historical. In my game, there's absolutely no reason for Russia to colonize South Africa. The Dutch did it in real history to protect the route between the Indian Ocean and Africa because of their rich and flourishing colonies in what is nowadays Indonesia.