Period of great geographical discoveries began in the 15th century and continued until the 17th century. During this period, the inhabitants of Europe, mainly through sea routes, discovered and explored new lands, and also began to colonize them. During this period, new continents were discovered - Australia, North and South America, trade routes were laid from Europe to the countries of Asia, Africa, and the islands of Oceania. Mariners played a leading role in the development of new lands Spain and Portugal.

The impetus for great geographical discoveries, in addition to scientific interest and curiosity, was economic interest, and sometimes even a direct thirst for profit. In those days, distant India seemed to Europeans fairyland in placers of silver, gold and precious stones. In addition, Indian spices, brought by caravan routes by Arab merchants to Europe, cost a fortune in Europe. Therefore, Europeans sought to reach India and trade with Indians directly, without the mediation of Arab merchants. Or rob them...

In 1492 Christopher Columbus, who was looking for a direct sea route to India, America was discovered. Shortly before this, the Portuguese had found a sea route to the Indian Ocean and reached it for the first time. But the coveted India still remained unattainable. A full century after Columbus Vasco de Gama nevertheless, he managed to be the first European to reach India by sea, circumnavigating the African continent. And soon Marco Polo made it to China.

Finally destroyed the beliefs of believers about flat earth Ferdinand Magellan, who made the world's first voyage around the world on his ships in 1522. Now it has become clear to even the most backward inhabitants of the Earth that the Earth is round and is a ball.

Great geographical discoveries produced great cultural exchange between different countries and civilizations. It also changed the biological balance of the planet. In addition to getting to know the culture, traditions and inventions different countries, Europeans also transported animals, plants, and slaves around the planet. Races mixed, some plants and animals crowded out others. Europeans brought smallpox to America, to which local residents had no immunity, and they died en masse from the disease.

During travels and expeditions, new, previously unknown geographical objects are sometimes discovered - mountain ranges, peaks, rivers, glaciers, islands, bays, straits, sea currents, deep depressions or hills on the seabed, etc. These are geographical discoveries.

In ancient times and the Middle Ages, geographical discoveries were usually made by the peoples of the most economically developed countries. These countries included Ancient Egypt, Phenicia, later - Portugal, Spain, Holland, England, France. In the XVII–XIX centuries. many of the largest geographical discoveries were made by Russian explorers in Siberia and Far East, seafarers in the Pacific Ocean, the Arctic and Antarctic.

Especially of great importance discoveries were made in the 15th–18th centuries, when feudalism was replaced by a new social formation - capitalism. At this time, America, the sea route around Africa to India and Indochina, Australia, and the strait separating Asia and the North were discovered. America (Bering), many islands in the Pacific Ocean, the northern coast of Siberia, sea currents in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This was the era of great geographical discoveries.

Geographical discoveries have always been made under the influence of economic factors, in pursuit of unknown lands, new markets. During these centuries, powerful maritime capitalist powers emerged, enriching themselves through the seizure of discovered lands, enslavement and robbery of the local population. The Age of Great Geographical Discovery in the economic sense is called the era of primitive accumulation of capital.

The actual course of geographical discoveries in his the most important stages developed in the following sequence.

In the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia), many discoveries were made in ancient times by the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Greeks (for example, during the military campaigns of Alexander the Great in Central Asia and India). Based on the information accumulated at that time, the ancient Greek scientist Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century. compiled a map of the world that covered the entire Old World, although far from accurate.

Arab travelers and merchants of the 8th–14th centuries made a significant contribution to geographical discoveries on the eastern coast of Africa and in South and Central Asia.

In search of sea routes to India in the 15th century. Portuguese sailors circumnavigated Africa from the south, discovering the entire western and southern coast of the continent.

Having undertaken a voyage in search of a route to India through Atlantic Ocean, the Spanish expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1492 reached the Bahamas, Greater and Lesser Antilles, marking the beginning of the discoveries of the Spanish conquerors.

In 1519–1522 The Spanish expedition of Ferdinand Magellan and El Cano for the first time circumnavigated the Earth from east to west, opened the Pacific Ocean to Europeans (to local residents of Indo-China and South America it has been known since ancient times).

Great discoveries in the Arctic were made by Russian and foreign sailors in the 15th–17th centuries. The British explored the coast of Greenland from 1576 to 1631 and discovered Baffin Island. Russian sailors in the 16th century. already hunted sea animals near Novaya Zemlya, in early XVII V. walked along the northern coast of Siberia, discovered the Yamal, Taimyr, and Chukotka peninsulas. S. Dezhnev in 1648 passed through the Bering Strait from the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific.

In the southern hemisphere in the 17th century. The Dutchman A. Tasman discovered the island of Tasmania, and in the 18th century. Englishman J. Cook - New Zealand and the east coast of Australia. Cook's voyages laid the foundations of knowledge about the distribution of water and land on Earth, completing the discovery Pacific Ocean.

In the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. expeditions were already organized for special scientific purposes.

TO early XIX V. Only the Arctic and Antarctic remained unexplored. The largest of the expeditions in the 18th century. was equipped by the Russian government. These are the First (1725–1728) and Second (1733–1743) Kamchatka expeditions, when the northern tip of Asia was discovered - Cape Chelyuskin and many other objects in the North. On this expedition, V. Bering and A.I. Chirikov discovered North-West America and the Aleutian Islands. Many islands in the Pacific Ocean have been discovered round the world expeditions Russians, starting from sailing in 1803–1807. I. F. Krusenstern and Yu. F. Lisyansky. The last continent, Antarctica, was discovered in 1820 by F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev.

In the 19th century "white spots" disappeared with internal parts continents, especially Asia. The expeditions of P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky and especially Ya. M. Przhevalsky for the first time explored in detail the vast regions of Central Asia and northern Tibet, almost unknown until that time.

D. Livingston and R. Stanley traveled to Africa.

The Arctic and Antarctic remained unexplored. IN late XIX V. New islands and archipelagos were discovered in the Arctic, and individual sections of the coast were discovered in Antarctica. The American R. Peary reached the North Pole in 1909, and the Norwegian R. Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1911. In the 20th century The most significant territorial discoveries were made in Antarctica and maps of its supraglacial and subglacial relief were created.

Exploring Antarctica by airplane in 1928–1930. conducted by the American J. Wilkins, then the Englishman L. Ellsworth. In 1928–1930 and in subsequent years, an American expedition led by R. Byrd worked in Antarctica.

Large Soviet complex expeditions began to study Antarctica in connection with the 1957–1959 expeditions. International Geophysical Year. At the same time, a special Soviet scientific station- "Mirny", the first inland station at an altitude of 2700 m - "Pionerskaya", then - "Vostok", "Komsomolskaya" and others.

The scale of the expeditions' work continued to expand. The structure and nature of the ice cover were studied, temperature regime, structure and composition of the atmosphere, movement of air masses. But Soviet scientists made the most significant discoveries while examining the coastline of the mainland. The bizarre outlines of more than 200 previously unknown islands, bays, capes and mountain ranges appeared on the map.

In our time, significant territorial discoveries on land are impossible. The search is on in the oceans. IN recent years research was carried out so intensively, and even using the latest technology, that much has already been discovered and plotted on maps that have been published in the form of an atlas of the World Ocean and individual oceans.

Now even at the bottom of the oceans there are few “white spots” left, huge deep-sea plains and trenches, and vast mountain systems have been discovered.

Does all this mean that geographical discoveries are impossible in our time, that “everything has already been discovered”? Not at all. And they are still possible in many areas, especially the World Ocean, in the polar regions, in the highlands. But in our time, the very meaning of the concept of “geographical discovery” has changed in many ways. Geographical science now sets the task of identifying relationships in nature and the economy, establishing geographical laws and patterns (see Geography).

The Age of Great Geographical Discovery is a period in human history from the end of the 15th to the middle of the 17th centuries.
Conventionally divided into two parts:
Spanish-Portuguese discoveries the end of the 15th century and the entire 16th century, the list of which includes the discovery of America, the discovery of a sea route to India, Pacific expeditions, the first circumnavigation
Anglo-Dutch-Russian discoveries the end of the 16th century to the middle of the 17th century, which includes English and French discoveries in North America, Dutch expeditions to the Indian and Pacific oceans, Russian discoveries throughout Northern Asia

A geographical discovery is a visit by a representative of a civilized people to a new part of the earth previously unknown to cultural humanity or the establishment of a spatial connection between already known parts of the land.

Why did the era of great geographical discoveries come?

• The growth of European cities in the 15th century
• Active development of trade
• Active development of crafts
• Depletion of European mines noble metals- gold and silver
• The discovery of printing, which led to the spread of new technical sciences and knowledge of antiquity
• Distribution and improvement of firearms
• Discoveries in navigation, the appearance of the compass and astrolabe
• Advances in cartography
• The conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks, which interrupted the economic and trade ties of Southern Europe with India and China

Geographical knowledge before the era of great geographical discoveries

In the Middle Ages, Iceland and the shores of North America were discovered by the Normans, European travelers Marco Polo, Rubruk, Andre of Longjumeau, Veniamin of Tudela, Afanasy Nikitin, Carpini and others established land connections with the countries of Far Asia and the Middle East, the Arabs explored the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea , the shores of the Red Sea, the western shores of the Indian Ocean, roads connecting Eastern Europe through Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Iranian Plateau - with India

The beginning of the era of great geographical discoveries

The beginning of the era of great geographical discoveries can be considered the activities of the Portuguese navigators of the 15th century and the inspirer of their achievements, Prince Henry the Navigator (03/04/1394 - 11/13/1460)

At the beginning of the 15th century, the geographical science of Christians was in a deplorable state. The knowledge of the great scientists of antiquity has been lost. Impressions from the travels of singles: Marco Polo, Carpini, Rubruk - did not become public knowledge and contained many exaggerations. Geographers and cartographers used rumors in the production of atlases and maps; discoveries made by chance were forgotten; lands found in the ocean were lost again. The same applied to the art of navigation. The skippers had no maps, instruments, or knowledge of navigation; they were terrified of the open sea and huddled close to the shores.

In 1415, Prince Henry became Grand Master of the Portuguese Order of Christ, a powerful and wealthy organization. With her funds, Henry built a citadel on the isthmus of Cape Sagres, from where until the end of his days he organized sea expeditions to the west and south, created a navigation school, attracted the best mathematicians and astronomers from the Arabs and Jews, collected information wherever and whenever he could about distant countries and voyages, seas, winds and currents, bays, reefs, peoples and shores, began to build more advanced and larger ships. The captains went to sea against them, not only inspired to search for new lands, but also well prepared theoretically.

Portuguese discoveries of the 15th century

• Madeira Island
• Azores
• the entire western coast of Africa
• mouth of the Congo River
• Cape Verde
• Cape Good Hope

The Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point of Africa, was discovered by the expedition of Barthalomeu Dias in January 1488

Great geographical discoveries. Briefly

• 1492 —
• 1498 - Vasco da Gama discovered a sea route to India around Africa
• 1499-1502 - Spanish discoveries in the New World
• 1497 - John Cabot discovers Newfoundland and Labrador
• 1500 - discovery of the mouth of the Amazon by Vicente Pinzon
• 1519-1522 - Magellan's first circumnavigation of the world, discovery of the Strait of Magellan, Mariana, Philippine, Moluccas Islands
• 1513 - discovery of the Pacific Ocean by Vasco Nunez de Balboa
• 1513 - Discovery of Florida and the Gulf Stream
• 1519-1553 - discoveries and conquests in South America by Cortes, Pizarro, Almagro, Orellana
• 1528-1543 - Spanish discoveries of the interior of North America
• 1596 - discovery of the island of Spitsbergen by Willem Barents
• 1526-1598 - Spanish discoveries of the Solomon, Caroline, Marquesas, Marshall Islands, islands New Guinea
• 1577-1580 - second voyage around the world by the Englishman F. Drake, discovery of the Drake Passage
• 1582 - Ermak’s campaign in Siberia
• 1576-1585 - British search for the northwest passage to India and discovery in the North Atlantic
• 1586-1629 - Russian campaigns in Siberia
• 1633-1649 - discovery by Russian explorers of the East Siberian rivers to the Kolyma
• 1638-1648 - discovery of Transbaikalia and Lake Baikal by Russian explorers
• 1639-1640 - exploration by Ivan Moskvin of the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk
• The last quarter of the 16th century - the first third of the 17th century - the development of the eastern shores of North America by the British and French
• 1603-1638 - French exploration of the interior of Canada, discovery of the Great Lakes
• 1606 - independent discovery of the northern coast of Australia by the Spaniard Quiros and the Dutchman Janson
• 1612-1632 - British discoveries of the northeastern coast of North America
• 1616 - discovery of Cape Horn by Schouten and Le Mer
• 1642 - Tasman's discovery of the island of Tasmania
• 1643 - Tasman discovers New Zealand
• 1648 - Dezhnev’s discovery of the strait between America and Asia (Bering Strait)
• 1648 - discovery of Kamchatka by Fedor Popov

Ships of the Age of Discovery

In the Middle Ages, the sides of ships were covered with planks - top row boards covered the lower one. This lining is durable. but this makes the ships heavier, and the edges of the plating belts create unnecessary resistance to the hull. At the beginning of the 15th century, the French shipbuilder Julien proposed sheathing ships end-to-end. The boards were riveted to the frames with copper stainless rivets. The joints were glued with resin. This covering was called “caravel”, and the ships began to be called caravels. Caravels, the main ships of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, were built at all shipyards in the world for another two hundred years after the death of their designer.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the flute was invented in Holland. "Fliite" in Dutch means "flowing, flowing." These ships could not be overwhelmed by even the largest wave. They, like corks, took off on the wave. The upper parts of the sides of the flute were bent inward, the masts were very high: one and a half times the length of the hull, the yards were short, and the sails were narrow and easy to maintain, which made it possible to reduce the number of sailors in the crew. And, most importantly, the flutes were four times longer than they were wide, which made them very fast. The sides of flutes were also installed end-to-end, and the masts were made up of several elements. Flutes were much more spacious than caravels. From 1600 to 1660, 15,000 flutes were built and plied the oceans, displacing caravels

Navigators of the Age of Discovery

• Alvise Cadamosto (Portugal, Venice, 1432-1488) – Cape Verde Islands
• Diego Caen (Portugal, 1440 - 1486) – West Coast of Africa
• Barthalomeu Dias (Portugal, 1450-1500) - Cape of Good Hope
• Vasco da Gama (Portugal, 1460-1524) - the route to India around Africa
• Pedro Cabral (Portugal, 1467-1526) – Brazil
• Christopher Columbus (Genoa, Spain, 1451-1506) - America
• Nunez de Balboa (Spain, 1475-1519) - Pacific Ocean
• Francisco de Orellana (Spain, 1511-1546) - Amazon River
• Ferdinand Magellan (Portugal, Spain (1480-1521) - first circumnavigation of the world
• John Cabot (Genoa, England, 1450-1498) - Labrador, Newfoundland
• Jean Cartier (France, 1491-1557) east coast of Canada
• Martin Frobisher (England, 1535-1594) - Canadian polar seas
• Alvaro Mendaña (Spain, 1541-1595) – Solomon Islands
• Pedro de Quiros (Spain, 1565-1614) - Tuamotu Archipelago, New Hybrids
• Luis de Torres (Spain, 1560-1614) - the island of New Guinea, the strait separating this island from Australia
• Francis Drake (England, 1540-1596) - second circumnavigation of the world
• Willem Barents (Netherlands, 1550-1597) - the first polar explorer
• Henry Hudson (England, 1550-1611) - explorer of the North Atlantic
• Willem Schouten (Holland, 1567-1625) – Cape Horn
• Abel Tasman (Holland, 1603-1659) - island of Tasmania, New Zealand
• Willem Janszoon (Holland, 1570-1632) - Australia
• Semyon Dezhnev (Russia, 1605-1673) - Kolyma River, strait between Asia and America

One of the important stages in the history of human development is the era of discoverers. Maps with the seas marked on them are refined, ships are improved, and leaders send their sailors to capture new lands.

Feature of the era

The term “great geographical discoveries” conventionally unites historical events, starting from the mid-15th century and ending in the mid-17th. Europeans were actively exploring new lands.

There were prerequisites for the emergence of this era: the search for new trade routes and the development of navigation. Until the 15th century, the British already knew North America and Iceland. History included many famous travelers, among whom were Afanasy Nikitin, Rubrik and others.

Important! Started great era geographical discoveries of Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal, this event occurred at the beginning of the 15th century.

First achievements

Geographical science of that time was in serious decline. Lone sailors tried to share their discoveries with the public, but this did not produce results, and there was more fiction in their stories than truth. Data about what and who discovered at sea or on the coastal strip was lost and forgotten; no one had updated the maps for a long time. The skippers were simply afraid to go out to sea, because not everyone had navigation skills.

Henry built a citadel near Cape Sagres, created a school of navigation and sent expeditions, collecting information about the winds at sea, distant peoples and shores. The period of great geographical discoveries began with his activities.

Among the discoveries of Portuguese travelers are:

1. Madeira Island,
2. West Coast of Africa,
3. Cape Verde,
4. Cape of Good Hope,
5. Azores,
6. Congo River.

Why was it necessary to find new lands?

The list of reasons for the advent of the era of navigation includes:

• active development of crafts and trade;
• the growth of European cities during the 15th and 16th centuries;
• depletion of known precious metals mines;
• the development of maritime navigation and the appearance of the compass;
• interruption of economic ties between Southern Europe and China and India after .

Important points

Significant periods that have gone down in history, times when famous travelers made their trips and expeditions:

The Age of Discovery began in 1492, when America was discovered;

• 1500 - exploration of the mouth of the Amazon;
• 1513 - Vasco de Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean;
• 1519-1553 – conquest of South America;
• 1576-1629 – Russian campaigns in Siberia;
• 1603-1638 - exploration of Canada;
• 1642-1643 – visit to Tasmania and New Zealand;
• 1648 – exploration of Kamchatka.

Conquest of South America

Spanish and Portuguese sailors

At the same time as the Portuguese, famous travelers in Spain began to undertake sea voyages. , having good knowledge of geography and navigation, suggested that the country's rulers reach India by another route, heading west across the Atlantic Ocean. The one who later discovered many new lands was given three caravels, on which brave sailors left the port on August 3, 1492.

By the beginning of October they arrived at the first island, which became known as San Salvador, and later they discovered Haiti and Cuba. It was Columbus's seminal voyage that put the Caribbean islands on the map. Then there were two more, pointing the way to Central and South America.

Christopher Columbus - a mysterious person

First he visited the island of Cuba, and only then discovered America. Columbus was surprised to meet on the island a civilized people who possessed rich culture, was engaged in the cultivation of cotton, tobacco and potatoes. The cities were decorated with large statues and large buildings.

Interesting! Everyone knows the name of Christopher Columbus. However, very little is known about his life and travels.

The birth of this legendary navigator is still debated. Several cities lay claim to being the birthplace of Columbus, but this cannot be determined for certain. He took part in voyages on ships in the Mediterranean Sea, and later went on large expeditions from his native Portugal.

Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan was also from Portugal. Born in 1480. Early on, he was left without parents and tried to survive on his own by working as a messenger. Since childhood, he was attracted by the sea, attracted by the thirst for travel and discovery.

At the age of 25, Ferdinand set sail for the first time. He quickly learned the maritime profession while staying off the coast of India, and soon became a captain. He wanted to return to his homeland, talking about profitable cooperation with the East, but he achieved results only with the coming to power of Charles the First.

Important! The era of great geographical discoveries began in the middle of the 15th century. Magellan forestalled its advance by circumnavigating the world.

In 1493, Magellan leads an expedition west of Spain. He has a goal: to prove that the islands there belong to his country. No one thought that the journey would become around the world, and the navigator would discover many new things along the way. The one who opened the way to the “South Sea” did not return home, but died in the Philippines. His team arrived home only in 1522.

Russian discoverers

Representatives of Russia and their discoveries joined the orderly ranks of famous European navigators. Several people made great contributions to improving the world map. outstanding personalities that are worth knowing about.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen

Bellingshausen was the first who dared to lead an expedition to the uncharted shores of Antarctica, and around the world. This event took place in 1812. The navigator set out to prove or disprove the existence of a sixth continent, which was only talked about. The expedition crossed the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic. Its participants made a great contribution to the development of geography. The expedition under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Bellingshausen lasted 751 days.

Interesting! Previously, attempts were made to reach Antarctica, but they all failed; only famous Russian travelers turned out to be luckier and more persistent.

The navigator Bellingshausen went down in history as the discoverer of many species of animals and more than 20 large islands. The captain was one of the few who managed to find his own path, follow it and not destroy obstacles.

Nikolai Przhevalsky

Among the Russian travelers was the one who discovered most of Central Asia. Nikolai Przhevalsky always dreamed of visiting unknown Asia. This continent attracted him. The navigator led each of the four expeditions that explored Central Asia. Curiosity led to the discovery and study of mountain systems such as the Kun Lun and the ridges of Northern Tibet. The sources of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, as well as Lob-nora and Kuhu-nora, were explored. Nikolai was the second explorer after Marco Polo to reach Lop Nor.

Przhevalsky, like other travelers of the era of great geographical discoveries, considered himself happy man, because fate gave him the opportunity to explore the mysterious countries of the Asian world. Many species of animals that he described during his travels are named after him.

The first Russian circumnavigation

Ivan Kruzenshtern and his colleague Yuri Lisyansky firmly inscribed their names in the history of great discoveries in geography. They led the first expedition around globe, which lasted more than three years - from 1803 to 1806. During this period, sailors on two ships crossed the Atlantic, sailed through Cape Horn, after which they arrived in Kamchatka through the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There, researchers studied the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island. Their coastline was clarified, and data on all the waters visited by the expedition was also included on the map. Krusenstern compiled an atlas of the Pacific Ocean.

The expedition under the command of the admiral became the first to cross the equator. This event was celebrated in accordance with traditions.

Exploration of the Eurasian continent

Eurasia is a huge continent, but it is problematic to name the only person who discovered it.

One moment is surprising. If everything is clear with America and Antarctica, the illustrious names of the great navigators are reliably inscribed in the history of their existence, then the laurels of the man who discovered Europe never went to him, because he simply does not exist.

If we ignore the search for one navigator, we can list many names who contributed to the study of the surrounding world and took part in expeditions on the mainland and its coastal zone. Europeans are accustomed to consider themselves only explorers of Eurasia, but Asian navigators and their discoveries are no less in scale.

Historians know which of the Russian writers traveled around the world, except for the famous navigators. He was Ivan Goncharov, who took part in the expedition on a military sailing ship. His impressions of the trip resulted in a large collection of diaries describing distant countries.

The meaning of cartography

People could hardly move across the sea without good navigation. Previously, their main reference point was the starry sky at night and the sun during the day. Many maps during the period of great geographical discoveries were dependent on the sky. Since the 17th century, a map has been preserved on which the scientist plotted all the known coastal zones and continents, but Siberia and North America remained unknown, because no one knew how far they were and how far the continents themselves extended.

The most information-rich atlases were those of Gerard van Coelen. Captains and famous travelers crossing the Atlantic were grateful for the details of Iceland, Holland and Labrador being mapped.

Unusual information

Preserved in history interesting facts about travelers:

1. James Cook became the first person to visit all six continents.
2. Navigators and their discoveries changed the appearance of many lands, for example, James Cook brought sheep to the islands of Tahiti and New Zealand.
3. Before his revolutionary activities, Che Guevara was an amateur motorcycle rider; he took a 4,000-kilometer tour around South America.
4. Charles Darwin traveled on a ship where he wrote his greatest work on evolution. But they didn’t want to take the man on board, and it was the shape of the nose. It seemed to the captain that such a person would not be able to cope with a long load. Darwin had to be away from the team and buy his own uniform.

Age of Great Geographical Discoveries 15th - 17th centuries

Great Discoverers

Conclusion

Thanks to the heroism and determination of sailors, people received valuable information about the world. This was the impetus for many changes, contributed to the development of trade and industry, and strengthened relations with other nations. The most important thing is that it has been practically proven that it has a round shape.

Age of Great Geographical Discovery - the most important stage in the history of mankind. This is a time when the outlines of continents, seas and oceans become more accurate, technical instruments are improved, and the leading countries of that time send sailors in search of new rich lands. In this lesson you will learn about the sea expeditions of Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan, as well as their discovery of new lands.

Background

Among the reasons for the Great Geographical Discoveries are:

Economic

After the era of the Crusades, Europeans developed strong trade ties with the East. In the East, Europeans bought spices, fabrics, and jewelry. In the 15th century overland caravan routes along which Europeans traded with eastern countries, were captured by the Turks. The task of finding a sea route to India arose.

Technological

The compass and astrolabe (a device for measuring latitude and longitude) were improved.

New types of ships appeared - caravel, karakka and galleon. They were distinguished by their spaciousness and powerful sailing equipment.

Navigation charts were invented - portolans.

Now Europeans could not only make traditional coastal voyages (that is, mainly along the coast), but also go far into the open sea.

Events

1445- an expedition organized by Henry the Navigator reached Cape Verde (the western point of Africa). The island of Madeira, the Canary Islands, and part of the Azores were discovered.

1453- Constantinople is captured by the Turks.

1471- The Portuguese reached the equator for the first time.

1488- Bartolomeu Dias' expedition reached the southernmost point of Africa - the Cape of Good Hope.

1492- Christopher Columbus discovered the islands of San Salvador, Haiti, Cuba in the Caribbean Sea.

1497-1499- Vasco da Gama reached the Indian port of Calicut, circumnavigating Africa. For the first time, the route to the East through the Indian Ocean was opened.

1519- Ferdinand Magellan sets off on an expedition in which he discovers the Pacific Ocean. And in 1521 it reaches the Mariana and Philippine Islands.

Participants

Rice. 2. Astrolabe ()

Rice. 3. Caravel ()

Successes have also been achieved in cartography. European cartographers began to draw maps with more accurate outlines of the coasts of Europe, Asia and North America. The Portuguese invented navigational maps. In addition to the outlines of the shores, they depicted settlements, obstacles encountered along the way, as well as the location of the ports. These navigation charts were called portolans.

The discoverers became Spaniards and Portuguese. The idea of ​​conquering Africa was born in Portugal. However, the knightly cavalry turned out to be helpless in the sands. Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator(Fig. 4) decided to try the sea route along west coast Africa. The expeditions he organized discovered the island of Madeira, part of the Azores, and the Canary Islands. In 1445, the Portuguese reached the western point of Africa - Cape Verde.. Somewhat later, the coast of the Gulf of Guinea was discovered. It was discovered there large number gold, ivory. Hence the name - Gold Coast, Ivory Coast. At the same time, African slaves were discovered, which were traded by local leaders. Portugal became the first European country, which began to sell live goods.

Rice. 4. Henry the Navigator ()

After the death of Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese reached the equator in 1471. In 1488, an expedition Bartolomeu Dias reached the southern tip of Africa - Cape of Good Hope. Having circumnavigated Africa, this expedition entered the Indian Ocean. However, due to a rebellion among the sailors, Bartolomeu Dias was forced to return. His path continued Vasco da Gama (Fig. 5), which in 1497-1499. circumnavigated Africa and after an 8-month voyage arrived at the Indian port of Calicut (Fig. 6).

Rice. 5. Vasco da Gama ()

Rice. 6. Opening of the sea route to India, Vasco da Gama’s route ()

Simultaneously with Portugal, the search for a new sea route to India began Spain, which at that time was ruled Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. Christopher Columbus(Fig. 7) suggested new plan- reach India, moving west across the Atlantic Ocean. Christopher Columbus shared the view that the earth was spherical. On August 3, 1492, Columbus set out from Spain on three caravels “Santa Maria”, “Nina” and “Pinta” in search of India (Fig. 8). On October 12, 1492, a shot was heard on the Pinta caravel. This was the signal: the sailors had reached the island they named San Salvador, which translated means “holy savior.” After exploring the island, they went south and discovered two more islands: Haiti (then Hispaniola) and the island of Cuba.

Rice. 7. Christopher Columbus ()

Rice. 8. Route of Christopher Columbus ()

Columbus's first expedition lasted 225 days and discovered Caribbean Sea. During the next three expeditions, Columbus discovered the coast of Central America and the northern coast of South America. However, the Spanish crown was not satisfied with the amount of gold that came into the country. Soon they turned away from Columbus. He died in 1506 in poverty, confident that he had discovered a new sea route to India. Mainland, discovered by Columbus, originally called West Indies(Western India). Only later was the name given to the continent America.

The rivalry between Spain and Portugal led to the first division of the world in history. IN 1494 year was concluded Treaty of Tordesillas, according to which a conventional meridian was drawn along the Atlantic Ocean somewhat west of the Azores Islands. All over again open lands and the seas to the west of it were to belong to Spain, and to the east to Portugal. However Ferdinand Magellan's first circumnavigation of the world corrected this document.

Back in 1513, the Spaniard Vasco de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and reached the shores of the Pacific Ocean. He then called it the South Sea. In the autumn of 1519, on five caravels with a crew of 253 sailors, Ferdinand Magellan (Fig. 9) set off on his journey (Fig. 10). His goal was to find a route across the Atlantic Ocean to the Moluccas (spice islands). After a year of travel, Magellan's team entered a narrow strait, which was later named Strait of Magellan. Having passed through it, Magellan's team managed to enter the previously unknown ocean. This ocean was named Quiet.

Rice. 9. Ferdinand Magellan ()

Rice. 10. Ferdinand Magellan's first trip around the world ()

In March 1521, Magellan's team reached Mariana Islands, and then landed in the Philippines, where Magellan himself died in a skirmish with local residents. His team managed to reach the Moluccas. Three years later, only one ship with 17 sailors returned home. Magellan's first trip around the world proved that the Earth is spherical..

European exploration of the New World took the form conquests - conquests. Along with the conquest, resettlement to New World colonists from Europe.

Great geographical discoveries changed the picture of the world. First, it was proven that the Earth is spherical. A new continent was also discovered - America, as well as a new ocean - the Pacific. The outlines of many continents, seas and oceans were clarified. Great geographical discoveries were the first step towards the creation of a world market. They shifted trade routes. So, trading cities Venice and Genoa lost their key importance in European trade. Their place was taken by ocean ports: Lisbon, London, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Seville. Due to the influx of precious metals into Europe from the New World, a price revolution occurred. Prices fell for precious metals, and at the same time prices for food and raw materials for production increased.

Great geographical discoveries marked the beginning of the colonial redistribution of the world and the domination of Europeans in Asia, Africa and America. The exploitation of slave labor and trade with the colonies allowed European trading circles to enrich themselves, which became one of the prerequisites for the formation of capitalism. Also, the colonization of America led to the destruction of the ancient American cultures. Great geographical discoveries became one of the reasons for the food revolution in Europe. Previously unknown crops were introduced: corn, tomatoes, cocoa beans, potatoes and tobacco.

References

1. Boytsov, M.A. Magellan's Path: Early Modern Times. History reading book. - M., 2006.
2. Vedyushkin V.A., Burin S.N. Textbook on the history of modern times, grade 7. - M., 2013.
3. Verlinden Ch., Mathis G. “Conquerors of America. Columbus, Cortes." Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 1997.
4. Lange P.V. Like the sun... The life of Ferdinand Magellan and the first circumnavigation of the world. - M.: Progress, 1988.
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5. What discovery was Ferdinand Magellan famous for, and what continent did Christopher Columbus discover?
6. Do you know any other famous navigators and the territories they discovered?