The Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes used between Europe, Central Asia, East Africa, and East Asia, is an example of early globalization.
Globalization is not a new phenomenon. For thousands of years, people have traveled long distances, taking their trade and traditions with them and changing the places they visited. The Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes used between Europe, Central Asia, East Africa, and East Asia, is an example of early globalization. For more than 1,500 years, Europeans traded glass and manufactured goods for Chinese silk and spices, contributing to a global economy in which both Europe and Asia became accustomed to goods from far away. As settlers from Europe colonized the Americas in the 16th through 18th centuries, they brought Christianity with them. The spread of religion changed the characteristics of the places they settled. For example, Roman Catholicism is the primary religion in many countries in South America, which has affected the culture of the region. Language—another defining characteristic of place—also changes with globalization. Today, an increasing number of people around the world speak English, which has largely become the language of global business.