Which European nation was the first to establish colonies in North America? 🔊
The first European nation to establish colonies in North America was Spain. Spanish explorers, such as Juan Ponce de León and Hernán Cortés, established settlements and claimed territories in the Americas during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Notably, St. Augustine, founded in 1565 in present-day Florida, is recognized as the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the continental United States. Spain's early colonization efforts focused on exploration, resource extraction, and spreading Christianity among Native American populations, which set the stage for subsequent European powers to seek their own colonies in North America.


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