The arrival of European powers refers to the period in the late 15th century when European nations such as Portugal, Spain, England, and the Netherlands began to explore and establish trading networks in regions beyond Europe.
Related terms
Globalization: The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.
Mercantilism: An economic theory that dominated Europe from the 16th to 18th centuries, emphasizing government control of foreign trade for the benefit of one's own country.
Columbian Exchange: The widespread exchange of plants, animals, diseases, human populations (including enslaved Africans), ideas, and culture between Afro-Eurasian societies and the Americas following Christopher Columbus's voyages.