The interest of Europe in Asia, especially during the 16th and earlier centuries, had to do with several factors that influenced the interest of western European nations to explore and establish colonies in this continent. Among those interests that influenced European nations was the constant conflict between Christianity and Islam, and especially, with the interest of certain countries, like Spain, to spread the Christian faith to other lands in detriment of Islam. Another, was the constant contest between Spain and Portugal to get ahead of the other in trading power and establishment of trading spots. This race led the Portuguese to send a voyage that ended discovering the Cape of Good Hope and with it, the way to the Far East without having to cross over by land and face the Muslims who constantly attacked Christian traders. But the leading factor, the one that pushed western Europe to seek these trading routes and thus colonize, was the interest of re-establishing contact with the goods offered by the Far East, particularly China and India and which had not reached Europe since the Arabs closed access to the Far East through land. With the intention of breaking the choke-hold from Muslims, and with the intention of reestablishing trade with China and India, the Europeans sent voyages that led later on to colonization.
<span>The leading factor in the european colonization of Asia between 1500 and 1800 was the desire to obtain new and unique resources such as spices--since such things were in high demand in Europe but were largely unavailable. </span>
