Significant discoveries during the Age of Exploration (15th to 17th centuries) transformed global trade, geography, and cultural exchange. European explorers, such as Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan, charted unknown territories, leading to the European colonization of the Americas and parts of Asia and Africa. The discovery of new trade routes—especially to Asia—resulted in the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures, known as the Columbian Exchange, influencing diets and economies across continents. These explorations opened up the world and laid the foundation for globalization, impacting subsequent historical developments profoundly.