What is a mercantilist country?

During the period of exploration and colonization, all the major powers were mercantilist nations. The object of mercantilism was to minimize imports that cost the nation money, and maximize exports that made the nation money. Colonies were a means of reducing a country's dependence on foreign nations. Each colony would provide a raw material to the Mother Country and this would allow the nation to not have to purchase that product from another nation. The object was to sell more than you bought.