How did european exploration affect european nations politically and economically

European exploration of the 1400's lead to the discovery of less advanced seemingly primitive societies in formerly undiscovered parts of the world. Later gradual assimilation and subsequent colonization of these discovered places was seen as a nation's military and political strength, and nations with control of more colonial states were seen as politically superior in Europe. Controlling external colonial territories also meant creation of more political positions within the colonizing countries to manage the affairs of these external colonies.

Economically, colonial states provided European countries with industrial resources to cope with the already dwindling resources in Europe. Taxes and other levies from colonial citizens were used to finance European countries' economy.