The Age of Discovery, or Age of Exploration, was the period, conventionally dated from around 1418 to around 1620, during which seafarers chiefly from Portugal and Spain, and later other European maritime powers, explored, charted and began to colonize regions across the globe by sea. It overlapped with the Age of Sail and forms part of the Early Modern Period, and it connected Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia in sustained, direct contact for the first time, reshaping trade routes and laying the foundation for the European overseas empires of the following centuries.
Facts
Disputed
Start YearConventionally opened with the start of Portuguese maritime exploration in the early fifteenth century; the exact opening year varies by source. End YearDifferent historians close the period anywhere from the early to the late seventeenth century. Geographic ScopeGlobal: European maritime powers, chiefly Portugal and Spain at first, explored and began to colonize the Americas, the African coast, and maritime routes to and across Asia. 1 FAQs
Was the Age of Discovery only about exploration?
The sources describe exploration together with colonization and conquest.
No. The period conventionally dated from about 1418 to about 1620 is also called the Age of Exploration, but the source describes European seafarers as having explored, colonized and conquered regions across the globe. The period overlapped with the Age of Sail and is counted as part of the Early Modern Period, so it covers colonization and conquest as well as voyages of exploration.
Connections
Associated With
Source Wikipedia
Additional Source Wikipedia: Age of DiscoveryAge of Discovery, Christopher Columbus
In Era
Source Wikipedia
Additional Source Wikipedia: Age of DiscoveryAge of Discovery, in relation to the Early Modern Period
Includes
Source Abel Tasman (Wikipedia)
Source Bartolomeu Dias (Wikipedia)
Source Columbian exchange, Wikipedia
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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia: Age of Discovery
WikipediaAge of Discovery, introduction
seafarers from European countries explored, colonized, and conquered regions across the globe.
In Group: Eras Beginning from 1368 to 1492 CE, Article text
The Age of Discovery (c. 1450, c. 1620)
In Era: The Early Modern Period, Age of Discovery, in relation to the Early Modern Period
was part of the early modern period and overlapped with the Age of Sail.
Associated With: Christopher Columbus, Age of Discovery, Christopher Columbus
seafarers from European countries explored, colonized, and conquered regions across the globe.
View the Source Bartolomeu Dias (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Bartolomeu Dias, lead, second sentenceQuote, Includes: Bartolomeu Dias, lead, second sentence
In February 1488, he became the first European navigator to round the southern tip of Africa and to demonstrate that the most effective southward route for ships is to go diagonally southwest in the open ocean, well to the west of the African coast.
Abel Tasman (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Abel Tasman, lead, second and third sentencesQuote, Includes: Abel Tasman, lead, second and third sentences
He was the first European to reach New Zealand, which he named Staten Landt. He also discovered and was the eponym of Tasmania.
Columbian exchange, Wikipedia
Includes: Columbian Exchange, LeadQuote, Includes: Columbian Exchange, Lead
from the late 15th century on
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