Final answer:
The causes of European exploration in the late 15th and early 16th centuries were the search for new trade routes, the spread of Christianity, and competition between European nations. The consequences included colonization of the Americas, the Atlantic slave trade, the Columbian Exchange, and transformation of world trade and global interconnections.
Step-by-step explanation:
The European exploration in the late 15th and early 16th centuries had various causes and consequences. Some of the causes included the desire to find new trade routes to the East for valuable spices and goods, the spread of Christianity, and the competition between European nations. The consequences of European exploration were the colonization of the Americas, the Atlantic slave trade, the Columbian Exchange (exchange of goods, diseases, and ideas between the Old World and the New World), and the transformation of world trade and global interconnections.