Europe and the World: Developments in Exploration

European knowledge of and influence in the world dramatically increased during the Age of Exploration (15th to 18th centuries). Traditional understandings of the world gave way to new perceptions while new inventions and technology proliferated as European explorations reached lands increasingly far away. This section will investigate the changes in the geographic knowledge of the world as evidenced by maps produced in different times. Furthermore, we will illustrate some of the technological developments in sailing and navigation that facilitated exploration.