The time span between the 15th century and the 17th century was known as the Age of Exploration, or Age of Discovery.

It was at that time in England when Europeans had just begun exploring the world by navigating to new places by sea, increasing their trading areas and being more knowledgeable about the world as a whole. It was that time when the European world changed and transformed gradually into what it is today.

The discovery of better sea routes began in search of easier access to trading destinations from where spices and silk could be obtained. The Portuguese were the first who sailed through these new routes. They were not the first in the sea, but the first to go beyond the already known safe routes within the sight of land.

This way they discovered the Madeira Islands, African coast and the Cape of Good Hope, and ultimately Vasco da Gama discovered India. On the other side, there was Christopher Columbus, an Italian working for the Spanish monarchy who found Bahamas, Haiti, Dominican Republic, the Caribbean, Cuba and Central American coast.

As a result, the British and the French had begun establishing colonies in North America and in Africa as well. It has a huge negative impact in Africa especially as it had then set forward horrors that shattered Africa with a 300-year long slave trade.

For the massive wealth procured from these places in goods, spices and precious metals, the New World also increased their expanse of trade with massive plantations. These needed the workforce with they could not fulfil from within their own country and so, they exploited the workers immensely. 

The maps became more detailed and expanded in showing the surface of the land that man had realized existed. Of course, all the countries had not been uncovered until much later, like east Australia and much of Africa, yet it was enough to have an impact on geography. The navigation and mapping improved a great deal.

This had also made available new food, flora and fauna to the Europeans. Corn, sweet potatoes and peanuts were new to the Europeans and so were animals like turkeys, llamas and squirrels. 

While colonies established themselves and increased their own wealth and status on a global level, the colonized could not do so. They had to break free with independence after long struggles and the impact of these explorations can be felt even today.

The developing countries hold a majority share in the world and are still healing from the wounds of their destructed states.