How did European exploration change global demographics and economies?

• A. The Columbian exchange introduced new crops and diseases, spurred colonization and mercantile systems
• B. It caused immediate global peace
• C. It halted trade routes
• D. It reduced population growth

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that European exploration opened a global network of movement and exchange that reshaped both populations and economies. Through the Columbian exchange, crops such as potatoes and maize from the Americas transformed diets and supported population growth in Europe, Asia, and Africa, while Old World crops and livestock altered agricultural systems in the Americas. At the same time, devastating diseases from the Old World, including smallpox and measles, drastically reduced Indigenous populations in the Americas, a demographic shift that facilitated colonization and the expansion of European-controlled lands. Economically, this new interconnectedness spurred colonization and the rise of mercantilist systems, as European powers organized colonial production, controlled trade routes, and sought wealth through raw-material exports and a growing transatlantic market. The combination of shifting demographics and new economic patterns explains why option describing crops, diseases, colonization, and mercantile growth is the best fit.