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Conquest and exploration - The Cantino planisphere, made by an anonymous cartographer in 1502, is the earliest surviving map showing Portuguese geographic travels in the east and west.

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Henry the Navigator (1394–1460) - Henry laid the foundations for Portugal's 15th-century maritime expansion. A wealthy man, he funded the expeditions along the African coast.

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Portugal - Legend suggests that Henry the Navigator founded a school of navigation at Sagres, in the western Algarve.

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Portugal - During the 15th century, Lagos, in the Algarve, was an important naval center. Shipyards built the caravel sailing ship. More ominously, the town became the center of Portugal's slave trade. Today, it's a popular resort destination.

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The caravel -

This light, compact, and highly maneuverable sailing ship was developed by the Portuguese in the 15th century to explore the West African coast. It was distinguished by its round shape.

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Portugal - Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries Lisbon, the country's capital, was at the forefront of world trade. The illustration shows the city around 1550.

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Portugal - Much of the city was destroyed in the great 1755 earthquake. Fortunately, the great monuments in the western suburb of Belém survived the disaster.

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Portugal - Two 16th-century monuments in Belém stand as symbols to the city's illustrious maritime past—the Torre de Belém and Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Both the tower and the monastery are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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Portugal - The first half of the 15th-century saw Portuguese explorers departing Lisbon to chart new territory. The Azores (pictured) was an early prize. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

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Portugal - In 1427 Diogo de Silves reached the Azores archipelago. Today, the destination is known for its spectacular volcanic scenery and abundant wildlife.

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João Gonçalves Zarco (c.1390– 1471) - Zarco, together with Tristão Vaz Teixeira and Bartolomeu Perestrelo, reached Porto Santo in 1418 and then, in 1420, Madeira.

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Portugal - Madeira is a sub-tropical gem of island, a jewel in the Atlantic blessed with a mild climate, impressive mountain scenery, and vivid flora.

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Gil Eanes (1395–?) -

Born in Lagos, Eanes reached Cape Bojador, in the Western Sahara, in 1434. The discovery of a passable route around the Cape marked the beginning of the Portuguese exploration of Africa.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Cape Verde - In 1460 Diogo Gomes (c.1420– c.1500) sighted the Cape Verde archipelago. Uninhabited, the islands were claimed by Gomes for Portugal.

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Cape Verde -

The ten volcanic islands are scattered in the central Atlantic Ocean. The destination comprises a population of mostly mixed European, Moorish, Arab, and African heritage.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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São Tomé and Príncipe - The uninhabited islands were claimed for Portugal by João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar sometime around 1470. The map pictured dates from 1665.

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São Tomé and Principé - Known for its coffee and cocoa, the island cluster remains a less-traveled tourist destination. Pictured is Ilhéu das Rolas, an islet that lies on the equator.

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Diogo Cão (c. 1452–1486) - In 1482, Diogo Cão reached the mouth of the Congo.

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Congo River - The Congo River forms a natural border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the smaller Republic of the Congo. Both countries appeal to the more adventurous tourist.

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Namibia -

In 1482 during his third voyage, Diogo Cão reached Cape Cross in Namibia. Two crosses mark the location of the landing party.

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Namibia -

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is the home of one of the largest colonies of Cape fur seals in the world.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Bartolomeu Dias (c.1450–1500) - In a remarkable achievement, Dias sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, reaching the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic, the first European known to have done so.

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The Cape of Good Hope - The Cape of Good Hope, overlooks Dias beach, named for the Portuguese explorer.

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Vasco da Gama (c.1460s–1524) - Vasco da Gama's discovery of a sea route to India led him to become the first European to reach the country by sea.

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Vasco da Gama (c.1460s–1524) - Portuguese astronomer, astrologer, and mathematician Abraham Zacuto is shown presenting his astronomical tables to da Gama before his departure from Lisbon in 1497.

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Mozambique -

On his initial voyage to India (1497–1498), he also visited Mozambique. Pictured is the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte on the Island of Mozambique.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0)

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Mozambique - Mozambique's tourism sector is expanding. Luxury travel destinations include the Bazaruto archipelago. Wildlife is gradually being reintroduced into the Gorongosa National Park.

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Kenya - The Sheik of Malindi greets Vasco da Gama in 1498 during a stopover en route to India. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Kenya - Rock formations on Watamu beach near Malindi. Vasco da Gama left Malindi for India on 24 April 1498.

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India - The fleet reached India one month later, when Vasco da Gama landed at Kozhikode (Calicut) on 20 May 1498.

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India - Vasco da Gama meeting with the King of Calicut, the Samudiri (Zamorin).

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India - Kozhikode, or Calicut, is a city in Kerala. The state today is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India.

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India - Goa is another favorite with international and domestic tourists. A former Portuguese province, the state's largest city is called Vasco da Gama.

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Pedro Álvares Cabral (1467–1520) - In 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral reached Brazil.

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Brazil - Cabral's fleet landed at Porto Seguro, in Bahia. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Brazil -

Salvador, in Bahia, was founded by the Portuguese in 1549 as the first capital of Brazil. Portuguese cultural influences are apparent in colonial architecture and the city's many historic monuments.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Canada - In 1500–1501 Gaspar Corte-Real (1450–1501) reached Newfoundland.

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Madagascar - Diogo Dias, brother of Bartolomeu, sighted an island he named São Lourenço, since he first saw it on St. Lawrence's day (August 10, 1500).

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Madagascar -

The island, today known as Madagascar, is a destination that's home to an abundance of flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth. Lemurs are the Madagascar's most iconic species.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.5)

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Sri Lanka - Lourenço de Almeida (c.1480– 1508) arrived in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1505. By 1517, the Portuguese had established a garrison in Colombo and had extended their control over coastal areas.

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Sri Lanka - One of the country's most compelling visitor attractions is the Dambulla cave temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla.

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Malacca - In 1511 António de Abreu (c.1480–c.1514) led the conquest of Malacca (the illustration shows the port city shortly after it fell to the Portuguese).

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Malacca City - The Meleka Straits Mosque. In the Malay language, Malacca City is known as Pulau Melaka.

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Maluku Islands - The Maluku Islands, also known as the Moluccas, are known for their volcanoes, palm-fringed beaches... and spice! The illustration shows Ternate island and the Portuguese-built Saint John Baptist fort on the island.

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Francisco Serrão (14??–1521) -

Serrão and his fleet reached the islands in 1512 and loaded their ships with nutmeg, cloves, and mace.

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China - Jorge Álvares (14??–1521) is credited as the first European to reach China by sea. The Portuguese explorer landed on an island near the city of Guangzhou in 1513.

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China - Cosmopolitan Guangzhou, known for its striking modern architecture, is the capital and most populous city in Guangdong province.

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Fernão de Magalhães (c.1480–1521) - His name translates into English as Ferdinand Magellan, and it was Magellan who led the first circumnavigation of the globe (1519–22), a voyage completed by Spaniard Juan Sebastián Elcano after the Portuguese explorer was killed in the Philippines.

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Strait of Magellan -

A natural passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Magellan entered what was then known as Estrecho de Todos los Santos (Strait of All Saints) in 1520 during his historic voyage.

(Photo: Flickr/CC BY-ND 2.0)

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Magellanic penguin -

The penguin is named after the Portuguese explorer, who spotted the birds in 1520.

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Japan - Portuguese trader and explorer António da Mota was one of the first Europeans to set foot in Japan, arriving in 1543. He also introduced handheld guns to the Japanese. The illustration shows him supervising shooting practice.

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Japan - Tokyo, the country's capital, has previously been named the Most Livable City in the world.

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Japan - The five-story Toji pagoda standing in Kyoto is the tallest in the country and a national landmark.

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Lisbon -

There is a monument to this era in Belém, which commemorates the mariners, royal patrons, and all those who took part in this period of exploration. At its head is Henry the Navigator, caravel in hand.

See also: History's most notorious lies, hoaxes, and deceptions.

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