European exploration abroad led to an increase in world trade, with contact between the Old World and the New World using the new trade routes to the west across the Atlantic Ocean, producing the Columbian exchange; a broad transfer of plants, animals, food, human populations (including slaves), communicable diseases and culture between the eastern and western hemispheres. This represented one of the most significant global events related to ecology, agriculture and culture in history.
The era of discoveries and subsequent European exploration allowed the global mapping of the world, which resulted in a new vision of the world and distant civilizations that came into contact, but also led to the spread of diseases that decimated populations that did not previously they were in contact with Eurasia and Africa, the slavery, exploitation, military conquest and economic dominance of Europe and its colonies on the native populations.
It also allowed the spread of Christianity throughout the world: with the expansion of missionary activity, Christianity became the most widespread religion in the world along with Islam.