The document summarizes European exploration and colonization in the 15th-17th centuries. It discusses Prince Henry the Navigator's sponsorship of Portuguese exploration down the coast of Africa leading to the discovery of a route to India and the Spice Islands. It also covers Christopher Columbus' voyages to the Americas in 1492 while seeking a western route to Asia, resulting in contact between the Old World and New World. The establishment of colonies by European powers like Spain, Portugal, France, and England in the Americas is briefly outlined.