Final answer:
The Columbian Exchange refers to the transfer of goods, plants, animals, diseases, and culture between Europe and the Americas following Columbus's voyages. This exchange had a profound effect on the demographics, environment, and economies of the participating continents, significantly shaping the modern world.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Columbian Exchange involved the transfer of various elements between different continents after the voyages of Christopher Columbus. The correct answer to the original question is D) Goods and diseases between Europe and the Americas. This exchange played a significant role in the transformation of societies on both sides of the Atlantic. It included the transfer of plants, animals, and diseases following the voyage of Christopher Columbus.
Europeans introduced livestock such as pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses to the Americas, as well as crops like wheat and sugar. Conversely, American crops, including maize, potatoes, and cassava, had significant impacts on European, African, and Asian diets. Unfortunately, the exchange also involved diseases from Europe that decimated indigenous populations in the Americas, with some estimates suggesting a mortality rate of up to 95% among native peoples.
The Columbian Exchange was also a form of cultural diffusion, facilitating the spread of ideas, technologies, and cultural traditions across the ocean, reshaping civilisations and impacting the economic systems around the globe.