Many changes have happened in the world over the past few hundred years. The way people talk has changed. The foods they eat have changed. Even the languages they speak have changed.

Many of these changes have been caused by globalization. This is the movement of people, goods, and ideas around the world.

Effects on Place

Globalization can change places. A place might be a city. It might be a country or a region. Globalization can change a place physically. It might change the quality of the water or air. For example, in China, creating more factories to make goods for other countries changed the environment. The factories created smoke. This smoke created pollution.

Globalization can also affect people and their way of life. The population of places might increase. The language people use or the clothing they wear might also change.

Effects on Humans

Globalization is not a new idea. The Silk Road is an example of early globalization. The Silk Road was a trade route. It connected Europe and Asia more than 1,500 years ago. People in Europe became familiar with Asian goods. This changed the way they ate and drank.

The spread of religion is another example of globalization. Europeans came to North and South America more than 400 years ago. They brought their religion with them. Now, Roman Catholicism is the main religion in South America.

Language also changes with globalization. Today, many people around the world speak English.

Globalization can affect where people work and live. Companies might hire workers in countries where it is cheaper. Workers are paid less in India than in the United States, for example. American companies sometimes use workers in India to save money.

Many cities have grown from globalization. Shanghai, China, has grown to become the world's largest city. About 24 million people now live in Shanghai. There are now more people living in Shanghai than in the American state of Florida.

Globalization also affects culture. People around the world listen to the same music and watch the same television programs. People can now try food from all over the world. Chinese restaurants can be found in almost any American town.

Globalization makes the world a more connected place.