<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The first European colonization wave took place from the early 15th century (Portuguese conquest of Ceuta in 1415) until the early 19th - century (French invasion of Algeria in 1830), and primarily involved the European colonization of the Americas, though it also included the establishment of European colonies in India and in Maritime Southeast Asia . During this period, European interests in Africa primarily focused on the establishment of trading posts there, particularly for the African slave trade . </P> <P> The time period in which much of the first wave of European colonization (and other exploratory ventures) occurred is often labeled the Age of Discovery . A later major phase of European colonization, which started in the late 19th - century and primarily focused on Africa and Asia, is known as the period of New Imperialism . </P>

When did the first wave of western settlement began