Today, goods from every corner of the world fill homes, stores, and offices. Coworkers video-chat from Winnipeg, Canada to Beijing, China. US businesses hire accountants in India, and Japanese investors buy stocks on the German stock exchange. But how did the world economy reach this level of connectedness? This book in the GLOBAL TRADE AND COMMERCE series shares the story of world trade from 1498, when Vasco da Gama rounded Africa's southern tip, to current times in which nations collaborate in the World Trade Organization and other trade associations. This book provides information about the nations, people, and events that changed the world market; the philosophies behind trade policies; the state of the global market today; and the benefits and costs of world trade.