Major Geographical Discoveries

Click on the flashcard to see the answer



What were the Great Geographical Discoveries?

They were a period during the 15th to 17th centuries when Europeans explored new sea routes and lands.

Which explorer is credited with discovering the Americas in 1492?

Christopher Columbus.

What was the main goal of the Portuguese explorers during the Age of Discovery?

To find a sea route to Asia by sailing around Africa.

Name one technological advancement that helped navigators during the Great Geographical Discoveries.

The astrolabe, used for navigation by measuring the angle between the horizon and a celestial body.

Who was the first person to circumnavigate the globe?

Ferdinand Magellan's expedition completed the first circumnavigation.

What was the significance of Vasco da Gama’s voyage in 1497-1499?

He was the first to reach India by sea, opening up a new trade route.

What were some of the consequences of the Great Geographical Discoveries?

Increased trade, cultural exchanges, and the spread of diseases.

Which treaty divided the newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal?

The Treaty of Tordesillas.

What role did Prince Henry the Navigator play in the Age of Discovery?

He sponsored many exploratory voyages along the African coast.

Which empire did Hernán Cortés conquer in the early 16th century?

The Aztec Empire.

What was one of the main motivations for European explorations during the Great Geographical Discoveries?

To find new trade routes and sources of wealth.

What impact did the Great Geographical Discoveries have on indigenous populations?

Many faced displacement, disease, and cultural disruption due to European colonization.

Who discovered the Pacific Ocean after crossing the Isthmus of Panama?

Vasco Núñez de Balboa.

What change did the Great Geographical Discoveries bring to global maps?

They improved and expanded maps with accurate details of new regions.

Name one famous explorer from the Great Geographical Discoveries who explored North America.

John Cabot, who explored the coast of North America.





Test Your Knowledge

Select the correct option


1. What were the Great Geographical Discoveries?

A series of migrations during the Ice Age.

The exploration of Antarctica by 19th-century explorers.

The search for extraterrestrial life.

They were a period during the 15th to 17th centuries when Europeans explored new sea routes and lands.

2. Which explorer is credited with discovering the Americas in 1492?

Vasco da Gama.

Ferdinand Magellan.

Christopher Columbus.

Vasco Núñez de Balboa.

3. What was the main goal of the Portuguese explorers during the Age of Discovery?

To colonize the Americas.

To find a sea route to Asia by sailing around Africa.

To explore the interior of Africa.

To find a route to China over land.

4. Name one technological advancement that helped navigators during the Great Geographical Discoveries.

The astrolabe, used for navigation by measuring the angle between the horizon and a celestial body.

The steam engine.

The printing press.

The compass rose on maps.

5. Who was the first person to circumnavigate the globe?

Ferdinand Magellan's expedition completed the first circumnavigation.

Marco Polo.

Leif Erikson.

James Cook.

6. What was the significance of Vasco da Gama’s voyage in 1497-1499?

He discovered America.

He mapped the interior of Africa.

He was the first to reach India by sea, opening up a new trade route.

He conquered the Philippines.

7. What were some of the consequences of the Great Geographical Discoveries?

Increased trade, cultural exchanges, and the spread of diseases.

Feudalism spread widely.

The Crusades began.

Complete isolation of continents.

8. Which treaty divided the newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal?

The Treaty of Utrecht.

The Treaty of Tordesillas.

The Treaty of Paris.

The Treaty of Versailles.

9. What role did Prince Henry the Navigator play in the Age of Discovery?

He sponsored many exploratory voyages along the African coast.

He discovered the Mississippi River.

He conquered Peru for Spain.

He defeated the Spanish Armada.

10. Which empire did Hernán Cortés conquer in the early 16th century?

The Inca Empire.

The Aztec Empire.

The Byzantine Empire.

The Ottoman Empire.

11. What was one of the main motivations for European explorations during the Great Geographical Discoveries?

To find new trade routes and sources of wealth.

To search for lost civilizations.

To establish democratic governments.

To stop the spread of Islam.

12. What impact did the Great Geographical Discoveries have on indigenous populations?

They were given large territories in Europe.

They gained access to modern medicine.

They remained unaffected by European actions.

Many faced displacement, disease, and cultural disruption due to European colonization.

13. Who discovered the Pacific Ocean after crossing the Isthmus of Panama?

Vasco Núñez de Balboa.

Juan Ponce de León.

James Cook.

Amerigo Vespucci.

14. What change did the Great Geographical Discoveries bring to global maps?

They removed all fictional islands.

They incorporated artistic elements.

They simplified the depictions of continents.

They improved and expanded maps with accurate details of new regions.

15. Name one famous explorer from the Great Geographical Discoveries who explored North America.

Ferdinand Magellan.

Vasco da Gama.

Bartolomeu Dias.

John Cabot, who explored the coast of North America.