Final answer:
The first Spanish colonies in the Americas were located in the Caribbean, with the first permanent settlement established by 1496. The colonial empire expanded to include significant parts of North and South America, and the oldest European city in North America is St. Augustine, Florida, founded by Spain in 1565.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first Spanish colonies in the Americas were located in the Caribbean. In 1492, Christopher Columbus, a Genoese explorer, landed on the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, marking the beginning of European colonization in the New World. Columbus mistakenly believed he had reached Asia, thereby referring to the native people he encountered as "Indians." The first permanent Spanish settlement in the Caribbean was established by 1496, which commenced an era of conquest and expansion throughout the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, and the Andes. This set the stage for a vast hemispheric empire. The Spanish colonial influence persists today, especially in areas previously under their control, like the southern United States and other parts of North America, as well as parts of South America.
Furthermore, the first permanent European settlement on the North American mainland was founded by the Spanish in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565. Over time, Spain's colonies would extend into present-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, reflecting a blend of settlement patterns that were characteristic of Spanish colonial endeavors in Central and South America.