Portugal
Portugal became Europe's leading exploration nation while these two countries were distracted by war with each other.
What are England and France?
Spain agreed to sponsor Columbus' voyage after completing this major conflict within its own borders.
What is the Reconquista? (The war against Muslims in Spain)
This explorer mapped much of North America's eastern coastline while searching for a northern route to Asia.
Who is Giovanni da Verrazzano?
This explorer searched the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for England.
Who is John Cabot?
Sailors used this tool with a magnetic needle to determine direction at sea.
What is a compass?
This prince sponsored voyages that mapped Africa's western coastline and expanded Portuguese trade.
Who is Prince Henry the Navigator?
Columbus planned to reach Asia by sailing in this direction across the Atlantic Ocean.
What is west?
Jacques Cartier explored this major river while claiming territory for France.
What is the St. Lawrence River?
Like many explorers of this time, England hoped to discover a shorter route to this continent.
What is Asia?
This instrument helped sailors measure latitude using the stars.
What is an astrolabe?
By sailing to the southern tip of Africa in 1488, this explorer proved a sea route to Asia might exist.
Who is Bartolomeu Dias?
Columbus believed the islands he reached were part of Asia because Europeans still lacked accurate knowledge of these two continents.
What are North America and South America?
Carter's voyages helped France strengthen its claim to this modern-day country.
What is Canada?
English merchants believed bypassing Arab and Italian middlemen would increase this.
What is profit/wealth/money?
Renaissance mapmakers improved navigation by rediscovering the geographic work of this ancient Greek scholar.
Who is Ptolemy?
This Portuguese explorer completed the voyage to India by sailing around Africa and across the Indian Ocean.
Who is Vasco da Gama?
What is the Treaty of Tordesillas?
The Huron-Iroquois word "kanata", connected to Cartier's voyages, meant this.
What is "village" or "settlement"?
England eventually focused colonization efforts in this region because Spain and Portugal dominated much of the south.
What is North America?
This invention allowed maps and navigational knoweldge to spread more quickly across Europe.
What is the printing press?
Portuguese ships became more successful because they combined triangular Arab sails with this steering innovation mounted underwater at the back of ships.
What is a rudder?
Although Magellan died in the Philippines, his expedition proved this important fact about the Earth.
What is that the world could be circumnavigated/sailed around? or What is that the world is round?
France temporarily reduced overseas exploration because of internal conflict involving these two issues.
What are religion and government?
England's ability to fund expensive voyages because possible partly because the growth of towns and trade strengthened these.
What are kingdoms/national governments/monarchies?
European sailors improved their understanding of the Indian Ocean by studying the work of this Arab mapmaker.
Who is al-Idrisi?