A state-level political entity that establishes and maintains dominance through control of sea routes and coastal territories, rather than primarily through land-based military power, constitutes a significant form of historical empire. These entities project influence and accumulate wealth by monopolizing trade routes, establishing colonies, and exerting naval supremacy. Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, England, and France all developed such empires during the Age of Exploration, leveraging their naval capabilities to establish trade networks and colonies across the globe.
The rise of these empires dramatically reshaped global trade, politics, and cultural exchange. They facilitated the Columbian Exchange, connecting the Eastern and Western Hemispheres and resulting in the movement of goods, people, and diseases across the Atlantic. Control of lucrative trade routes and access to valuable resources in colonized territories enriched imperial powers and provided them with strategic advantages over land-based rivals. These powers colonial expansion contributed to the diffusion of European languages, religions, and political systems, while simultaneously resulting in the exploitation and displacement of indigenous populations.
