The significance of the discovery of the New World by Europeans, particularly Christopher Columbus in 1492, was immense. It marked the beginning of the Age of Exploration, leading to widespread European colonization and exploitation of the Americas. This encounter resulted in significant cultural exchanges, the transatlantic slave trade, and the introduction of new crops and goods between continents, known as the Columbian Exchange. However, it also led to the devastating impact on Indigenous populations through disease, warfare, and displacement, fundamentally altering the course of history and shaping global interactions.