The era of great geographical discoveries lasted from the mid-15th to the mid-17th century. The main part in the expeditions was attended by Spanish and Portuguese sailors.
The main reasons for the great geographical discoveries are the search for new ways of trade and the development of navigation.
At that time, trade ties between East and Europe were destroyed as a result of expanded Turkish rule. The Turks blocked the main trade route through Syria and Asia Minor. At the same time, reliable ships adapted for sailing in the open ocean were built, which contributed not only to the search for new routes, but also to the discovery and seizure of lands located south of Europe.
Prince Henry at that time was considered the main organizer of Portuguese travel and assisted in the development of the Portuguese fleet. So in his time the Nautical School was organized. At the Geographical Research Institute, navigation methods and instruments were improved. The first globe in 1490 was created here.
The era of great geographical discoveries was marked by the discovery of the sea route to India. In 1497, an expedition was organized by King Manuel the Happy of Portugal . This was due to the too high cost of goods brought to Europe by land. The Portuguese expedition, consisting of three ships, was led by Vasco da Gama.
Having entered the Atlantic Ocean far enough, he turned east on the parallel of Cape Needle. After that, the ships sailed north along the east African coast to Mozambique. In the city of Mambasa, the Portuguese first made contact with the Arab population. After this, the Vasco da Gama expedition crossed the Indian Ocean and reached the southern Indian port of Calicut.
The era of great geographical discoveries was also marked by Spanish expeditions. After the discovery of the New World in the 15th century, Spain begins to show interest in the eastern states. However, the Spanish king, assessing the situation, sees that the Portuguese fleet closes the path to the African shores, and the Arab and Turkish merchants control the caravan route to the East. Christopher Columbus invites the King of Spain to pave the western path to India. Being an excellent cartographer and sharing the opinion of many of his contemporaries that the Earth is spherical in shape, he makes up a project of the path to the west through the Atlantic Ocean.
Thus, the era of geographical discoveries was marked by the discoveries of Columbus. The lands he found were settled by immigrants. Spanish colonies arose on the coast and islands of Central America.
Amerigo Vespucci contributed to the historical period under the title "The Age of Great Geographical Discoveries." Having made several expeditions on trade matters between 1499 and 1502, the navigator called the Asia discovered by Columbus the previously unknown vast land, the New World. Subsequently, this territory was named America. In turn, Amerigo Vespucci described the population and nature of open lands.
A very significant event in the history of discoveries is the round-the-world trip of Fernand Magellan. Passing to the service of the Spanish king, the navigator invited him to bypass America from the South and thus reach the shores of Asia.
His round-the-world expedition began in 1519. Five ships sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and headed along the southern shores of America in search of a strait into the Pacific Ocean (“South Sea”). The strait, later called Magellanov, was discovered after a long search and serious losses.
After Magellan approached the Indonesian islands, he concluded (as recorded in the logbook) that he had returned to the Old World, circling the Earth around.