Globalization (Civ5)/Civilopedia

Not a technology or field of study, globalization describes a process by which different regional economies, cultures, languages, information, and whole societies become integrated into a larger, consolidated network. While often used just to describe economic tendencies in the world market, globalization does take into account everything from migration patterns to the spread of technology and information. While not recognized as a concept until much later, globalization has been around as early as the first trade routes that were created between distant cities.
One of the earliest definitions of globalization was given by an American entrepreneur Charles Taze Russell in 1897, but it wasn't until the 1960s that the word really entered common parlance. The concept of globalization has been a driving force to both private and public sectors, with large banks opening branches across the world and separate governments joining together under one banner like the United Nations.
Modern globalization has worked to break down both trade and political barriers between differing nations, in order to increase personal independence and prosperity. It promotes free trade and the elimination of tariffs, consolidation of intellectual property laws, a more open sharing of news and information, and freer movement for international travel, tourism, and immigration.