Question

Explain why different European countries during the 14th and 15th centuries. What were the important geographical discoveries they made during this time?

Answer 1

Explaination:
The answer for this question can be broken down into 3 parts.
-Reason behind the Geographical exploration conducted by European countries (2 mark)
-Geographical explorations conducted by Spain and Portugal (3 mark)

Answer:
During the 14th and 15th centuries Europeans invented equipments like the compass and the astrolabe. It helped sailors know the direction they were going and their location. Ships were improved so that they were more seaworthy. Map making and ship building also improved around this time. The fall of Constantinople also necessitated the discovery of new trade routes between east and west.
Spain and Portugal were the two major countries that led Geographical exploration during the 14th and 15th centuries in Europe. Prince Henry the navigator of Portugal paved the way to the discovery of a sea route to western coast of Africa. Bartholomew Diaz, a Portuguese navigator sailed around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern most point of Africa. Vasco Da Gama went around Africa and landed in Calicut,India in 1498. Christopher Columbus determined to find a new route to the east accidentally reached a new land. Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian sailor later confirmed that the new world discovered by Columbus was not Asia. The land was named America.Ferdinand Magellan a sailor of Spain made the voyage round the world with the help of Spanish King Charles I. He crossed the Atlantic, went around the southern tip of South America and sailing through the straits, he reached the Pacific Ocean and landed at the Islands of Philippines.