The Age of Exploration lasted from approximately 1418 to 1620 in the 15th century. During this period, many European explorers undertook voyages that changed the history of the world. Furthermore, trade with the East was also difficult and expensive. Muslims and Italians controlled the flow of trade. “Until the 1400s, European trade with Asian cultures was centered in the Mediterranean Sea and controlled by Muslim merchants who had geographic access to the East. The demand for luxury goods from the East made Europeans eager to develop a water route to Asia that would eliminate their dependence on Muslim merchants.” This was a problem for Europe because Muslim rulers sometimes closed trade routes from Asia to Europe. . The Europeans did not want the Muslims and Italians to control the trade, so they decided to find a sea route to Asia. One of the main reasons for the voyages taken by European explorers was to find sea routes that went to East Asia, otherwise known as the Indies as the Europeans called them. Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean to find a route to East Asia, but landed in the Americas. The Europeans realized that they had found what they called the “New World” and not East Asia. This era of exploration sent European nations racing to claim lands in the Americas for themselves. Even though the Europeans found a lot of land, the early explorers faced many difficulties. Another reason that led to the Age of Exploration was that many people wanted to gain more knowledge and exploration was encouraged by national governments, who had to be wealthy enough to fund such exploration. Europeans were also encouraged to explore the world because they had to look for things in the middle of paper, in the hands of Italian and German bankers and merchants. the rise of Europe because they expanded their land, which equals more power, they obtained wealth and many valuable goods, economic conditions improved, the population increased and acquired a lot of knowledge. Works Cited “HIS 101 – Western Civilization I Lecture 12 --The Age of Discovery." Central Virginia Community College. 2014. Website. 2/5/14. .Kreis, Steven. “Lesson 2: The Age of Discovery.” The history guide. 2013. Website. 2/5/14. .“Western European Culture: Significant Developments, 1450-1815.” CUIP – In schools. 2014. Website. 5/2/14. .