Russian geographers are travelers. The most famous travelers in the world

Without the Russian discoverers, the world map would be completely different. Our compatriots - travelers and seafarers - have made discoveries that have enriched world science. The eight most noticeable are in our material.

Bellingshausen's first Antarctic expedition

In 1819, the navigator, captain of the 2nd rank, Thaddeus Bellingshausen led the first Antarctic round-the-world expedition. The purpose of the voyage was to explore the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, as well as to prove or disprove the existence of the sixth continent - Antarctica. Having equipped two sloops - "Mirny" and "Vostok" (under command), Bellingshausen's detachment went to sea.

The expedition lasted 751 days and wrote many bright pages in the history of geographical discoveries. The main one - - was made on January 28, 1820.

By the way, attempts to open the white continent were made earlier, but did not bring the desired success: they lacked a little luck, or, perhaps, Russian tenacity.

So, the navigator James Cook, summing up the results of his second voyage around the world, wrote: "I went around the ocean of the southern hemisphere at high latitudes and rejected the possibility of the existence of a continent, which, if it can be discovered, then only near the pole in places inaccessible for navigation."

During Bellingshausen's Antarctic expedition, more than 20 islands were discovered and mapped, sketches of Antarctic species and animals living on it were made, and the navigator himself went down in history as a great discoverer.

“The name Bellingshausen can be directly put alongside the names of Columbus and Magellan, with the names of those people who did not give up before the difficulties and imaginary impossibilities created by their predecessors, with the names of people who went their own way, and therefore were the destroyers of obstacles to discoveries, which designate epochs, "wrote the German geographer August Petermann.

Discovery of Semyonov Tien Shansky

Central Asia at the beginning of the 19th century was one of the least explored regions of the world. An undeniable contribution to the study of the "unknown land" - as geographers called Central Asia - was made by Peter Semyonov.

In 1856, the main dream of the explorer came true - he went on an expedition to the Tien Shan.

“My works on Asian geography led me to a thorough acquaintance with everything that was known about inner Asia. Beckoned me in particular to itself the most central of the Asian mountain ranges - Tien Shan, on which the foot of a European traveler had not yet set and which was known only from scant Chinese sources.

Semenov's research in Central Asia lasted two years. During this time, the sources of the Chu, Syrdarya and Sary-Jaz rivers, the Khan-Tengri peaks and others were mapped.

The traveler established the location of the Tien Shan ridges, the height of the snow line in this area and discovered the huge Tien Shan glaciers.

In 1906, by decree of the emperor, for the merits of the discoverer, the prefix was added to his surname - Tien Shansky.

Asia Przewalski

In the 70's and 80's. XIX century Nikolai Przhevalsky led four expeditions to Central Asia. This little-studied area has always attracted the explorer, and a trip to Central Asia was his old dream.

Over the years of research, mountain systems have been studied Kun-Lun , ridges of Northern Tibet, the sources of the Yellow River and Yangtze, basins Kuku-nora and Lob-nora.

Przewalski was the second person after Marco Polo to reach lakes-swamps Lob-nora!

In addition, the traveler discovered dozens of species of plants and animals that are named after him.

“Happy fate made it possible to carry out a feasible study of the least known and most inaccessible countries of inner Asia,” Nikolai Przhevalsky wrote in his diary.

Around the world of Kruzenshtern

The names of Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky became known after the first Russian round-the-world expedition.

For three years, from 1803 to 1806. - that is how long the first circumnavigation lasted - the ships "Nadezhda" and "Neva", passing through the Atlantic Ocean, rounded Cape Horn, and then reached Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The expedition refined the map of the Pacific Ocean, collected information about the nature and inhabitants of Kamchatka and the Kuriles.

During the voyage, Russian sailors crossed the equator for the first time. Celebrated this event, according to tradition, with the participation of Neptune.

The sailor, dressed in the lord of the seas, asked Kruzenstern why he had arrived here with his ships, because the Russian flag had not been seen in these places before. To which the commander of the expedition replied: "For the glory of science and our fatherland!"

Expedition of Nevelskoy

Admiral Gennady Nevelskoy is rightfully considered one of the outstanding navigators of the 19th century. In 1849 he went on an expedition to the Far East on the transport ship "Baikal".

The Amur expedition lasted until 1855, during which time Nevelskoy made several major discoveries in the lower reaches of the Amur and the northern shores of the Sea of ​​Japan, annexed huge areas of the Amur and Primorye to Russia.

Thanks to the navigator, it became known that Sakhalin is an island, which is separated by the navigable Tatar Strait, and the mouth of the Amur is accessible for ships to enter from the sea.

In 1850, a detachment of Nevelskoy founded the Nikolaev post, which today is known as Nikolaevsk-on-Amur.

“The discoveries made by Nevelskoy are invaluable for Russia,” wrote Count Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky - many previous expeditions to these lands could achieve European glory, but none of them achieved domestic benefits, at least to the extent that Nevelskoy did it. "

Vilkitsky North

The purpose of the hydrographic expedition of the Arctic Ocean in 1910-1915. was the development of the Northern Sea Route. By chance, the captain of the 2nd rank Boris Vilkitsky took over the duties of the head of the voyage. Icebreaking ships "Taimyr" and "Vaygach" went to sea.

Vilkitsky moved along the northern water area from east to west, and during the voyage he managed to compose a true description of the northern coast of Eastern Siberia and many islands, received the most important information about the currents and climate, and also became the first who made a through voyage from Vladivostok to Arkhangelsk.

The members of the expedition discovered the Land of Emperor Nicholas I. I., known today as Novaya Zemlya - this discovery is considered the last significant on the globe.

In addition, thanks to Vilkitsky, the islands of Maly Taimyr, Starokadomsky and Zhokhov were mapped.

At the end of the expedition, the First World War began. The traveler Roald Amundsen, having learned about the success of Vilkitsky's voyage, could not resist exclaiming to him:

"In time of peace, this expedition would excite the whole world!"

Kamchatka campaign of Bering and Chirikov

The second quarter of the 18th century was rich in geographical discoveries. All of them were made during the First and Second Kamchatka expeditions, which immortalized the names of Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov.

During the First Kamchatka Campaign, Bering, the leader of the expedition and his assistant, Chirikov, explored and mapped the Pacific coast of Kamchatka and Northeast Asia. They discovered two peninsulas - Kamchatka and Ozerny, Kamchatka Bay, Karaginsky Bay, Cross Bay, Providence Bay and St. Lawrence Island, as well as the strait, which today bears the name of Vitus Bering.

Companions - Bering and Chirikov - also led the Second Kamchatka Expedition. The goal of the campaign was to find a way to North America and explore the islands of the Pacific Ocean.

In Avacha Bay, the expedition members laid the foundation for the Petropavlovsk prison - in honor of the ships sailing "St. Peter" and "St. Paul" - which was later renamed Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

When the ships sailed to the shores of America, by the will of evil fate, Bering and Chirikov began to act alone - because of the fog, their ships lost each other.

"St. Peter" under the leadership of Bering reached the western coast of America.

And on the way back, the members of the expedition, who had a lot of difficulties, were thrown into a small island by a storm. Here Vitus Bering's life ended, and the island where the expedition members stopped for the winter was named after Bering.
"St. Paul" Chirikov also reached the shores of America, but for him the voyage ended more safely - on the way back, he discovered a number of islands in the Aleutian ridge and safely returned to the Peter and Paul prison.

Ivan Moskvitin's "Tumbling Lands"

Little is known about the life of Ivan Moskvitin, but this man still went down in history, and the reason for this is the new lands he discovered.

In 1639, Moskvitin, leading a detachment of Cossacks, set sail for the Far East. The main goal of the travelers was "to find new unseasoned land", to collect furs and fish. The Cossacks overcame the Aldan, Mayu and Yudoma rivers, discovered the Dzhugdzhur ridge, which separates the rivers of the Lena basin from the rivers flowing into the sea, and along the Ulya river entered the "Lamskoye", or Okhotsk Sea. Having explored the coast, the Cossacks discovered the Tauiskaya Bay and entered the Sakhalin Bay, circling the Shantar Islands.

One of the Cossacks said that the rivers in open lands "are sable, there are many animals, and fish, but fish are big, there is no such fish in Siberia ... there are so many of them - just run the seine and you can't drag the fish out ...".

The geographical data collected by Ivan Moskvitin formed the basis of the first map of the Far East.

To these brave men, mankind owes not only interesting information, but also scientific discoveries.

And in the times that we call "prehistoric", there were people who could not sit still, who strove there, beyond the horizon. They set off into complete obscurity, lacking adequate vehicles and means of protection, thinking not about themselves, but about the great goal that they set and eventually achieved.

Hannon - 505 BC

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Carthaginian (resident of the state of Carthage, located on the territory of modern Tunisia - approx. ed.) Gannon considered the very first of all famous travelers. The Carthaginian Senate equipped 60 galleys, each of which had 50 rowers. This fleet was to make a risky expedition - to reach the western shores of Africa and colonize the land. The expedition was headed by Gannon. In total, thirty thousand people went on a journey - today they would be called immigrants: their mission was to develop new lands.

Sailing across the Atlantic Ocean was incredibly dangerous back then. Nevertheless, Gannon and his companions, having overcome all obstacles on the way, reached the shores of West Africa. On one of the islands (apparently belonging to the group of the Canary Islands), travelers found many gorillas and took them for "wild people." Hoping to establish contact, the Carthaginians took three "savages" prisoner, but soon they had to be killed due to the aggressiveness of the gorillas.

On other islands, the Carthaginians entered into friendly and trade alliances with the locals. Having reached the South Horn, the travelers realized that they risked being left without supplies - they were running out. Then Gannon decided to return home. In Carthage, in the temple of Moloch, a large marble slab was erected in memory of this journey, on which a description of the great journey was carved.

Herodotus (484 - 425 BC)

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Ancient Greek scientist - historian and geographer, Herodotus became famous as the "father of history", and also as one of the first travelers. He compiled the first more or less accurate description of the real world for his contemporaries - based on his own observations and on the stories of other people.

To obtain the information necessary to write his most famous work - "History" - Herodotus traveled all the countries available at that time. He visited Greece and Egypt, Persia and Babylonia, Asia Minor and southern Italy, the islands of the Mediterranean Sea and the Crimea.

Herodotus began to travel at about 20 years old, and his goal was precisely science - he sought to collect as much information as possible about the events taking place, about the peoples inhabiting different lands. His first journey resulted in a major study of those peoples that at that time were not yet known to the Greeks. Herodotus wrote in his writings about the Greco-Persian wars, about the manners and customs of the Persians.

He was the first to describe Scythia and the peoples inhabiting this country, gave a complete description of the Istra (Danube) river, which flows through all of Europe, and Borisfena (Dnieper). In the writings of Herodotus, much attention is paid to Scythian myths - for example, about Hercules... He also writes about the Amazons - women warriors.

Later, Herodotus visited Northeast Africa, in Cyrene, the first in history to describe these territories. Herodotus collected very interesting information about Egypt, and modern scholars for the most part confirm the correctness of his descriptions.

Pytheas (340 BC)

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Tragedy Pythea lies in the fact that his stories about distant countries aroused mistrust and ridicule among his contemporaries. But his courage deserves respect - he dared to embark on a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic on a single ship. The Pytheas expedition headed to the North - they hoped to find tin and amber in uncharted lands. Such an order was given to Pytheas by his fellow merchants from the city of Massilia (Marseille). Pytheas did an excellent job with the assignment, while making several important geographical discoveries.

For example, moving northward, he noticed that the further to the northern latitudes, the longer the day becomes. This established the relationship between the length of day and night and latitude. In addition, he was the first to guess that the ebb and flow are associated with the attraction of the moon. Pytheas discovered that the Pole Star could not serve as an exact reference point to the north. All these and other discoveries he was able to make thanks to his travels.

Eudox (IIcentury BC)

Greek scientist-geographer Eudox began his travels with visits to Egypt and India.

Having hired a large ship and two launches, Eudoxus sailed on the waters of the Atlantic. It is unknown how far he made his way. Scientists are wary of overly trusting his evidence because there is no credible evidence. However, it is known for sure that by order of the pharaoh Ptolemy Eudoxus visited India, sailing there, accompanied by an Indian guide. This was followed by a second trip to India - Eudoxus was sent there by the queen Cleopatra, for him to bring Indian incense.

Having decided to go around Africa, the brave traveler almost carried out a dizzying plan, but died at the very end of the journey.

Strabo (64/63 BC - 23/24 AD)

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Ancient Greek traveler and geographer Strabo was known for his comprehensive education. He left behind an amazing work - "Geography" in 17 volumes, which contained the most detailed and varied information about many countries and peoples. The chapters on the Trans-Caspian lands, on Asian Scythia, on the Caucasus are relevant and interesting today.

Strabo traveled extensively. Repeatedly visited Egypt and made a detailed description of Alexandria, described the Egyptian pyramids, talked a lot about the wonders of the world.

Strabo lived a long life and died in Rome. His "Geography" is the most important and most interesting monument of ancient Greek science.

Everything that we now know was once discovered by people - pioneers. Some swam the ocean for the first time and found a new land, someone became the discoverer of space, someone plunged into the deepest cavity in the world in a bathyscaphe first. Thanks to the ten pioneers below, today we know the world as it really is.

• Leif Eiriksson / Leifur Eiriksson - the first European of Icelandic origin, who, according to some scientists, was the first to visit the continent of North America. Around the 11th century, this Scandinavian sailor went off course and landed on some shore, which he later called "Winland". Documented, of course, there is no confirmation of which part of North America he moored. Some archaeologists claim to have discovered Viking settlements in Newfoundland, Canada.

• Sacajawea, or Sacagawea / Sakakawea, Sacajawea - a girl of Native American descent, on whom Maryweather Lewis and his partner William Clark fully relied on during their expedition, the path of which ran across the entire American continent. The girl walked with these explorers more than 6473 kilometers. On top of that, the girl had a newborn baby in her arms. During this journey in 1805, Sakagawea found her lost brother. A girl is mentioned in the films "Night at the Museum" and "Night at the Museum 2".

• Christopher Columbus is a Spanish navigator who discovered America, but due to the fact that he and his expedition were looking for a sea route to India, Christopher believed that the lands he discovered were Indian. In 1492, his expedition discovered the Bahamas, Cuba and several other islands in the Caribbean. Christopher set sail for the first time at the age of 13.

• Amerigo Vespucci is the man after whom the continent of America was named. Although in fact Columbus made this discovery, it was Americo Vespuchi who documented the "find". In 1502, he explored the shores of South America, and it was then that well-deserved fame and honor came to him.

• James Cook is a captain who managed to sail much farther into the southern waters than any of his contemporaries. Cook owns the proven fact about the falsity of the northern route through the Arctic from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. It is known that Captain James Cook made 2 round-the-world expeditions, mapped the islands in the Pacific Ocean, as well as Australia, for which he was later eaten by the aborigines. That's so gratitude.

• William Beebe is a twentieth century naturalist explorer. In 1934, he descended 922 meters on a bathysphere and told people that "the world under water is no less strange than on another planet." Although how does he know how to live on other planets?

• Chuck Yeager - General of the United States Air Force. In 1947, the first one broke the sound barrier. In 1952, Chuck flew by at twice the speed of sound. Chuck Yeager, in addition to setting speed records, has coached pilots for such space programs as Apollo, Gemini and Mercury.

• Louise Arne Boyd is also known to the world under the nickname "Ice Woman". Received this nickname from her research in Greenland. In 1955, she flew over the North Pole and was the first woman to do so on an airplane. She is also responsible for the discovery of an underwater mountain range in the Arctic Ocean.

• Yuri Gagarin - April 12, 1961, the first of all people living on our planet, was in space. His maiden flight lasted a whopping 108 minutes. This was a real achievement in astronautics.

• Anousheh Ansari is the first female space tourist. She made her flight in September 2006. To her achievements, one can add the fact that she was the first of all who have been in orbit, blogging on the Internet from space.

Julian Hungarian,"Columbus of the East" is a Dominican monk who went in search of Great Hungary, the ancestral home of the Hungarians. By 895, the Hungarians had settled in Transylvania, but they still remembered the distant lands of their ancestors, the steppe regions east of the Urals. In 1235, the Hungarian prince Bela equipped four Dominican monks on a journey. After a while, two Dominicans decided to return back, and the third companion of Julian died. The monk decided to continue on his way alone. As a result, having passed Constantinople, passing along the Kuban River, Julian reached Great Bulgaria, or Volga Bulgaria. The return path of the Dominican ran through the Mordovian lands, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Ryazan, Chernigov and Kiev. In 1237, Julian of Hungary set off on a second journey, but already on the way, reaching the eastern lands of Russia, he learned about the attack on Great Bulgaria by Mongol troops. Descriptions of the monk's travels became an important source in the study of the history of the Mongol invasion of the Volga Bulgaria.

Gunnbjorn Ulfson. You've probably heard of Eirik the Red, a Scandinavian navigator who first settled on the shores of Greenland. Thanks to this fact, many people mistakenly think that he was the discoverer of the giant ice island. But no - before him there was Gunnbjorn Ulfson, who was heading from his native Norway to Iceland, whose ship was thrown to new shores by the strongest storm. Almost a century later, Eirik the Red followed in his footsteps — his path was not accidental, Eirik knew exactly where the island discovered by Ulfson was.

Rabban Sauma, who is called the Chinese Marco Polo, was the only native of China to describe his journey through Europe. As a Nestorian monk, Rabban embarked on a long and perilous pilgrimage to Jerusalem around 1278. Moving out of the Mongol capital of Khanbalik, that is, present-day Beijing, he crossed all of Asia, but having already approached Persia, he learned about the war in the Holy Land and changed his route. In Persia, Rabban Sauma was warmly received, and a few years later, at the request of Argun Khan, was equipped with a diplomatic mission to Rome. First, he visited Constantinople and King Andronicus II, then he visited Rome, where he established international contact with the cardinals, and eventually ended up in France, at the court of King Philip the Fair, offering an alliance with Argun Khan. On the way back, the Chinese monk received an audience with the newly elected Pope and met with the English King Edward I.

Guillaume de Rubuc, a Franciscan monk, after the end of the Seventh Crusade, was sent by King Louis of France to the southern steppes in order to establish diplomatic cooperation with the Mongols. From Jerusalem, Guillaume de Rubuc reached Constantinople, from there to Sudak and moved towards the Sea of ​​Azov. As a result, Rubuk crossed the Volga, then the Ural River and eventually ended up in the capital of the Mongol Empire, the city of Karakorum. The audience of the great khan did not give any special diplomatic results: the khan offered the king of France to swear allegiance to the Mongols, but the time spent in overseas countries was not in vain. Guillaume de Rubuc described his travels in detail and with his characteristic humor, telling the inhabitants of medieval Europe about the distant eastern peoples and their lives. He was especially impressed by the religious tolerance of the Mongols, unusual for Europe: in the city of Karakorum, pagan and Buddhist temples, a mosque, and a Christian Nestorian church peacefully coexisted.

Afanasy Nikitin, Tver merchant, in 1466 went on a commercial voyage, which turned into incredible adventures for him. Thanks to his adventurism, Afanasy Nikitin went down in history as one of the greatest travelers, leaving behind the heartfelt notes “Voyage across the Three Seas”. As soon as they left their native Tver, the merchant ships of Afanasy Nikitin were plundered by the Astrakhan Tatars, but this did not stop the merchant, and he continued on his way - first reaching Derbent, Baku, then to Persia and from there to India. In his notes, he colorfully described the customs, manners, political and religious structure of the Indian lands. In 1472 Afanasy Nikitin went home, but never reached Tver, having died near Smolensk. Afanasy Nikitin became the first European to overcome the path to India.

Chen Chen and Li Da- Chinese travelers who made a dangerous expedition across Central Asia. Li Da was a seasoned traveler, but he did not take travel notes and therefore did not become as famous as Chen Chen. The two eunuchs went on a diplomatic journey on behalf of Emperor Yong-le in 1414. They had to cross the desert for 50 days and climb along the Tien Shan mountains. After spending 269 days on the road, they reached the city of Herat (which is located on the territory of modern Afghanistan), presented gifts to the Sultan and returned home.

Odorico Pordenone- Franciscan monk who visited India, Sumatra and China at the beginning of the XIV century. Franciscan monks sought to increase their presence in East Asian countries by sending missionaries there. Odorico Pordenone, leaving his native monastery in Udine, proceeded first to Venice, then to Constantinople, and from there to Persia and India. The Franciscan monk traveled extensively in India and China, visited the territory of modern Indonesia, reached the island of Java, lived in Beijing for several years, and then returned home, passing Lhasa. He died already in a monastery in Udine, but before his death he managed to dictate rich impressions of the travels. His memoirs formed the basis of the famous book "The Adventures of Sir John Mandeville", which was read in medieval Europe.

Naddod and Gardar- the Vikings who discovered Iceland. Naddod landed off the coast of Iceland in the 9th century: he was on his way to the Faroe Islands, but a storm brought him to a new land. After examining the surroundings and not finding signs of human life there, he went home. The next to set foot on Iceland was the Swedish Viking Gardar, who circled the island along the coast on his ship. Naddod named the island "Snow Land", and Iceland (ie "land of ice") owes its present name to the third Viking, Floki Wilgerdarson, who reached this harsh and beautiful land.

Benjamin Tudelsky- a rabbi from the city of Tudela (Kingdom of Navarre, now the Spanish province of Navarre). The path of Benjamin of Tudel was not as grandiose as that of Afanasy Nikitin, but his notes became an invaluable source of information about the history and life of Jews in Byzantium. Benjamin of Tudelsky left his hometown for Spain in 1160, passed Barcelona, ​​traveled through southern France. Then he arrived in Rome, from where, after a while, moved to Constantinople. From Byzantium, the rabbi proceeded to the Holy Land, and from there to Damascus and Baghdad, bypassed Arabia and Egypt.

Ibn Battuta famous not only for his wanderings. If his other “colleagues” set off on a journey with a trade, religious or diplomatic mission, then the muse of distant wanderings called the Berber traveler - he covered 120,700 km solely for the love of tourism. Ibn Battuta was born in 1304 in the Moroccan city of Tangier in the family of a sheikh. The first point on the personal map of Ibn Battuta was Mecca, where he got, moving by land along the coast of Africa. Instead of returning home, he continued his journey through the Middle East and East Africa. Having reached Tanzania and finding himself without funds, he ventured on a trip to India: it was rumored that the Sultan in Delhi was incredibly generous. Rumors did not fail - the sultan supplied Ibn Battuta with generous gifts and sent him to China for diplomatic purposes. However, on the way he was plundered and, fearing the Sultan's wrath and not daring to return to Delhi, Ibn Battuta was forced to hide in the Maldives, visiting Sri Lanka, Bengal and Sumatra along the way. He reached China only in 1345, from where he headed towards the house. But, of course, he could not sit at home - Ibn Battuta made a short trip to Spain (then the territory of modern Andalusia belonged to the Moors and was called Al-Andalus), then went to Mali, for which he needed to cross the Sahara, and in 1354 settled in the city Fez, where he dictated all the details of his incredible adventures.

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

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Feature of the era

The term "great geographical discoveries" conventionally combined historical events starting from the middle of the 15th century and ending in the middle of the 17th. Europeans were actively exploring new lands.

For the emergence of this era, there were prerequisites: the search for new trade routes and the development of navigation. Until the 15th century, the British already knew North America with Iceland. Many famous travelers have gone down in history, among whom was Afanasy Nikitin, Rubrik and others.

Important! Prince Heinrich the Navigator of Portugal began the great era of geographical discoveries; this event took place at the beginning of the 15th century.

First achievements

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

Henry built a citadel near Cape Sagres, created a school of navigation and sent expeditions, collecting information about 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 it was 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 -16th centuries;
• depletion of well-known mines for the extraction of precious metals;
• the development of maritime navigation and the emergence of a compass;
• interruption of economic ties of Southern Europe with China and India after.

Important points

Significant periods that went down in history, the times when famous travelers made their hikes and expeditions:

The era of great geographical discoveries 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 - the conquest of South America;
• 1576-1629 - Russian campaigns in Siberia;
• 1603-1638 - Exploration of Canada;
• 1642-1643 - visiting Tasmania and New Zealand;
• 1648 - exploration of Kamchatka.

Conquest of South America

Spanish and Portuguese sailors

Simultaneously with the Portuguese, famous travelers of Spain began to undertake sea voyages. , possessing a good knowledge of geography and navigation, invited the rulers of the country to reach India in a different way, following to the west across the Atlantic Ocean. Those who later discovered many new lands were given three caravels, on which the brave sailors left the port on August 3, 1492.

By early October, they arrived at the first island, which became known as San Salvador, later they discovered Haiti and Cuba. It was Columbus's fruitful voyage that mapped the Caribbean Islands. Then there were two more, pointing the way to Central and South America.

Christopher Columbus is 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 had a rich culture, were 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 being debated. Several cities claim to be considered the birthplace of Columbus, but this is no longer clear. He took part in cruises on ships in the Mediterranean Sea, and later went on large expeditions from his native Portugal.

Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan was also from Portugal. Was born in 1480. He was left without parents early, trying to survive on his own, working as a messenger. From 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 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 warned her offensive by traveling around the world.

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

Russian pioneers

Representatives of Russia and their discoveries have joined the slender ranks of the famous European navigators. Several outstanding personalities, who are worth knowing about, have made a great contribution to the improvement of the map of the world.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen

Bellingshausen was the first to dare to lead an expedition to the unexplored shores of Antarctica, and around the world. This event took place in 1812. The navigator set out to prove or disprove the existence of the sixth continent, about which there was only talk. The expedition crossed the Indian Ocean, Pacific, Atlantic. Its members have 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 get to Antarctica, but they all failed, only Russian famous travelers were more fortunate and stubborn.

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

Nikolay Przhevalsky

Among the Russian travelers was one who discovered most of Central Asia. Nikolai Przhevalsky has always dreamed of visiting unexplored Asia. He was attracted by this continent. The navigator led each of the four expeditions that explored Central Asia. Curiosity led to the discovery and study of such mountain systems as the Kun-Lun and the ranges of Northern Tibet. The sources of the Yangtze and Yellow He rivers, as well as Lob-nora and Kuhu-nora, were investigated. Nikolay was the second explorer after Marco Polo to reach Lob-nora.

Przhevalsky, like others / travelers of the era of great geographical discoveries, considered himself a happy person, because fate gave him the opportunity to explore the mysterious countries of the Asian world. Many species of animals described by him during his travels are named in his honor.

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 the globe, which lasted more than three years - from 1803 to 1806. During this period, the sailors on two ships crossed the Atlantic, sailed through Cape Horn, after which they arrived to Kamchatka through the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There, the researchers studied the Kuriles and Sakhalin Island. Their coastline was clarified, and data on all waters visited by the expedition were entered on the map. Kruzenshtern compiled an atlas of the Pacific Ocean.

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

Exploration of the mainland Eurasia

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

One moment is surprising. If everything is clear with America and Antarctica, the famous names of the great navigators are reliably inscribed in the history of their existence, then the laurels, the man who discovered Europe, did not get it, because he simply does not exist.

If we ignore the search for one navigator, then we can list many names who contributed to the study of the world around them and took part in expeditions across the mainland and its coastal zone. Europeans are accustomed to considering only themselves as explorers of Eurasia, but Asian seafarers and their discoveries are no less in scale.

Historians know which of the Russian writers traveled around the world, except for the famous sailors. It 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 value of cartography

People could hardly navigate 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. A map has survived since the 17th century, on which the scientist plotted all the known coastal zones and continents, but Siberia and North America remained unknown, because no one knew what distance to them and how far the continents themselves spread.

The richest in information were the atlases of Gerard van Köhlen. Captains and famous travelers crossing the Atlantic have been grateful for mapping details of Iceland, Holland and Labrador.

Unusual information

Interesting facts about travelers have been preserved in history:

1. James Cook became the first person to visit all six continents.
2. Navigators and their discoveries changed the face of many lands, so James Cook brought sheep to the islands of Tahiti and New Zealand.
3. Before his revolutionary activities, Che Guevara was a fan of driving a motorcycle; he made a tour of 4 thousand kilometers, having traveled around South America.
4. Charles Darwin traveled by ship where he wrote his greatest work on evolution. But they did not want to take the man on board, and it was in the shape of the nose. It seemed to the captain that such a person would not be able to cope with a prolonged load. Darwin had to be outside the team and buy his own uniforms.

The era of great geographical discoveries 15-17 centuries

Great pioneers

Output

Thanks to the heroism and determination of seafarers, people received valuable information about the world. This served as an impetus for many changes, contributed to the development of trade, industrial sphere, strengthening of relations with other peoples. The most important thing is that it has been practically proven that it has a rounded shape.