Final answer:
The major colonizers in the first phase of colonial expansion were European nations, notably Portugal and Spain, followed by the Netherlands, England, France, and several others. They established colonies worldwide, driven by wealth, trade, and the spread of Christianity, significantly impacting indigenous populations and cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major colonizers in the first phase of colonial expansion were primarily European nations seeking new territories, trade opportunities, and resources. This era, which began in the fifteenth century, was marked by aggressive European expansion across the Atlantic and into the Caribbean, Pacific, and Indian Ocean regions. The primary European powers involved in this early colonialism were Portugal and Spain, who were later joined by the Netherlands, England (later Britain), France, and other countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium. They established colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands, driven by the desire for wealth, trade dominance, and spreading Christianity.
This colonization often had catastrophic effects on the indigenous populations due to disease, warfare, and exploitation. This period was the start of what can be considered the first wave of globalization, where European culture, religion, and governance were imposed upon the colonized regions.