Opportunity Cost for Spain of Not Exploring the New World

Had Spain not launched expeditions westward, it would have forfeited:

• Immense Wealth: Gold, silver (Potosi, Zacatecas) that funded European dominance for centuries.
• Global Empire: Territorial claims across Americas, Philippines, Pacific—strategic bases and trade monopolies.
• Religious Expansion: Catholic evangelization of millions; papal patronage and spiritual authority.
• Geopolitical Leverage: Counterbalance to Portugal, France, England; dynastic power through Habsburg marriages.
• Knowledge & Exchange: New crops (potato, maize, tomato), medicines, botanical/zoological discoveries, cultural encounters.

Rival powers (especially Portugal, then England/France/Netherlands) would have seized these opportunities, reshaping history to Spain's detriment.