This map illustrates the rise and expansion of the Spanish Colonial Empire during the Age of Exploration, from the late 15th to the early 19th century. Emerging after the completion of the Reconquista in 1492 and the voyages of Christopher Columbus, Spain built one of the largest empires in history, spanning the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific.
Following Columbus’s landing in the Caribbean, Spanish expeditions swiftly conquered powerful empires such as the Aztec (Mexica) and Inca, establishing viceroyalties across the Americas. Manila galleons connected New Spain to the Philippines via the Pacific, while Atlantic fleets linked Spain to its American colonies. Driven by the pursuit of wealth, religious conversion, and imperial prestige, the Spanish Empire shaped global trade, culture, and geopolitics for centuries, maintaining a vast network of overseas possessions until the independence movements of the 19th century.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2021, August 04). Map of the Spanish Colonial Empire. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14411/map-of-the-spanish-colonial-empire/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Spanish Colonial Empire." World History Encyclopedia, August 04, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14411/map-of-the-spanish-colonial-empire/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Spanish Colonial Empire." World History Encyclopedia, 04 Aug 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14411/map-of-the-spanish-colonial-empire/.
