Explain what we mean when we say that the world'shrank in the 1500s.

Explanation

The world shrank in 1500s can be understood as:
(i) Europeans discovered the sea route to Asia and trade activities increased between Europe and Asia.
(ii) The American continent was discovered only when the sea route through the Atlantic ocean to America was found. Due to the above mentioned factors there was an increased interaction among people living in different continents of the world, thereby causing the world to shrink in a metaphorical term.