What term describes the trans-Atlantic exchange of people, diseases, food, and animals?

The term that describes the trans-Atlantic exchange of people, diseases, food, and animals is the Columbian Exchange. This historical phenomenon took place after Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas in the late 15th century and led to a significant transfer of various elements between the Old World (Europe, Asia, and Africa) and the New World (the Americas).

The Columbian Exchange included the introduction of new crops and food items such as potatoes, tomatoes, and maize from the Americas to Europe, which had profound effects on diets and agricultural practices in the Old World. Conversely, it also involved the exchange of livestock like horses and cows, as well as diseases such as smallpox and measles, which had devastating effects on Indigenous populations in the Americas. The term encapsulates not just the exchange of goods but also the demographic and cultural impacts these interactions had on both sides of the Atlantic.

In contrast to this, the Triangular Trade refers specifically to a trade system that involved the exchange of enslaved Africans, goods, and raw materials between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. While it is related to transatlantic exchanges, it does not encompass the broader impacts of the Columbian Exchange. The other choices, like Merchants' Crossing and