Christopher Columbus is often credited with the discovery of the Americas in 1492 under the sponsorship of Spain. Although he was not the first European to reach the continent—Vikings led by Leif Erikson arrived centuries earlier—Columbus's voyages are significant because they opened the Americas to European exploration and colonization. Columbus embarked on his expedition seeking a westward route to Asia but instead encountered the islands of the Caribbean. His voyages marked the beginning of sustained European contact with the Americas, which had profound and lasting impacts on indigenous populations, global trade, and the course of world history.