Message about the famous geographical discovery for children. Trips. Vitus Jonassen Bering, who organized expeditions to Kamchatka

If you think that all outstanding wanderers remained in the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, then we hasten to convince you: our contemporaries also make amazing journeys. It is these people that will be discussed.

Photo: background-pictures.picphotos.net

If we talk about the great travelers of our time, then it is impossible to ignore the unique talent of Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov to conquer what, at first glance, is impossible to conquer. Today Konyukhov is the first of the best travelers planets that conquered the North and South Poles, highest peaks world, seas and oceans. He has more than forty expeditions to the most inaccessible places on our planet.

Descendant Northern Pomors from the Arkhangelsk province was born on the shore Sea of ​​Azov in the fishing village of Chkalovo. His irrepressible thirst for knowledge led to the fact that already at the age of 15, Fedor crossed the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov on a fishing rowing boat. It was the first step on the way to great achievements. Over the next twenty years, Konyukhov takes part in expeditions to the North and South Poles, conquers the highest peaks, makes four trips around the world, participates in a dog sled race, crosses Atlantic Ocean. In 2002, the traveler made a solo voyage across the Atlantic in a rowboat and set a record. More recently, on May 31, 2014, Konyukhov was met in Australia with several records at once. The famous Russian was the first to cross the Pacific Ocean from continent to continent. It cannot be said that Fedor Filippovich is a person fixated only on travel. In addition to the nautical school, the great traveler has the Belarusian Art School in Bobruisk and the Modern Humanitarian University in Moscow. In 1983, Fedor Konyukhov became the youngest member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. He is also the author of twelve books about his own experiences of overcoming the difficulties of wandering. At the end of the legendary passage across the Pacific Ocean, Konyukhov said that he was not going to stop there. He plans new projects: flying around the world on hot-air balloon, sailing around the world in 80 days for the Jules Verne Cup on a keel yacht with a crew, diving into the Mariana Trench.

Today, this young English traveler, TV presenter and writer is known to an audience of millions thanks to the highest-rated TV show on the Discovery Channel. In October 2006, the program “Survive at all costs” began to air with his participation. The goal of the TV presenter is not only to entertain the viewer, but also to give valuable advice and recommendations that may come in handy in unforeseen situations.

Born Bear in the UK in a family of hereditary diplomats, he received an excellent education at the elite Ladgrove School and the University of London. Parents did not interfere with their son's hobby sailing, rock climbing and martial arts. But the future traveler received endurance and survival skills in the army, where he mastered skydiving and mountaineering. These skills helped him subsequently achieve his cherished goal - the conquest of Everest. This event took place at the very end of the last century, in 1998. Bear Grylls has just irrepressible energy. The list of his travels is huge. From 2000 to 2007 he sailed around the British Isles in thirty days to raise funds for the British Royal Society for Water Rescue; crossed on an inflatable boat North Atlantic; flew over the Angel Falls on a steam-powered plane, dined in a balloon at an altitude of more than seven thousand meters; paragliding over the Himalayas... In 2008, the traveler led an expedition organized to climb one of the most remote unclimbed peaks in Antarctica. Almost all of the expeditions Grylls participates in are charitable.

If you think that long journeys are the prerogative of the strong half of humanity, then you are deeply mistaken. And this was proved by the young American Abby Sunderland, who at the age of 16 alone committed trip around the world on a yacht. Interestingly, Abby's parents not only allowed her to make such a risky venture, but also helped to prepare for it. It should be noted that the girl's father is a professional sailor.

January 23, 2010 the yacht left the port of Marina Del Rey, in California. Unfortunately, the first voyage was unsuccessful. The second attempt took place on 6 February. Very soon, Abby reported damage to the yacht's hull and engine failure. At that time she was between Australia and Africa, 2 thousand miles from the coast. After that, the connection with the girl was interrupted, and nothing was known about her. The search operation was unsuccessful, and Abby was declared missing. However, a month later, a distress signal was received from the yacht from the southern part of the Indian Ocean. After 11 hours of searching by Australian rescuers in a severe storm, a yacht was discovered in which, fortunately, Abby was safe and sound. Helped her survive large stock products and water. The girl said that all the time after the last communication session she had to overcome the storm, and she physically could not get in touch and send a radiogram. Abby's example inspires the brave in spirit to test their abilities and not stop there.

One of the most original travelers of our time spent on his unusual journey around the world as much as thirteen years of life. The non-standard situation was that Jason refused the achievements of civilization in the form of any kind of technology. The former British janitor went on his world tour with a bicycle, a boat and… roller skates!

Photo: mikaelstrandberg.com

The expedition started from Greenwich in 1994. The 27-year-old Lewis chose his friend Steve Smith as his partners. In February 1995, the travelers reached the United States. After 111 days of sailing, the friends decided to cross the states separately. In 1996, rollerblading Lewis is hit by a car. He spent nine months in the hospital. After recovering, Lewis goes to Hawaii, and from there on a pedal boat sails to Australia. On Solomon Islands he hit the epicenter civil war, and off the coast of Australia he was attacked by an alligator. Upon arriving in Australia, Lewis cuts short the trip due to financial difficulties and works for a short time at a funeral home and sells T-shirts. In 2005, he moved to Singapore, from there to China, from which he moved to India. Having traveled the country on a bicycle, the Briton reaches Africa by March 2007. The remainder of the Lewis route passes through Europe. He cycled through Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany and Belgium, then swam across the English Channel and returned to London in October 2007, completing his unique journey around the world. James Lewis proved to the whole world and to himself that there is no limit to human capabilities.

Photo: mikaelstrandberg.com

The beginning of the science of geography was laid in ancient times. Trade and military goals, the desire to explore new territories, to see other peoples and states forced people to commit long journeys, opening unknown lands. The ancient Egyptians, Minoans (inhabitants of the island of Crete), Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Indians set out on a journey full of dangers and adventures.

In the era of antiquity, geography was not separated from philosophy, history and medicine. It became an independent science several centuries before the beginning of a new era. The original geographical work "Earth Description", which has come down to us only in fragments, was created by one of the first geographers Ancient Greece Hecataeus (546-480 BC). Talking about near and far lands, he used coastal directions and descriptions overland routes. The beginning of historical geography and ethnography was laid by the famous ancient Greek scientist Herodotus (485-425 BC), who traveled from the Don steppes to the rapids of the Nile. Special attention geographical research the great philosopher and naturalist Aristotle (384-322 BC), who became the founder of hydrology, meteorology and oceanology, also paid attention to this. However, the Greek scientist Eratosthenes, who used mathematical models in the science of the Earth, is rightfully considered the "father of geography". Many generations of geographers in their work were guided by the cartographic representations of Eratosthenes.

In the seventeen books of Strabo's "Geography", extensive materials were summarized that were stored in the Library of Alexandria, where the scientist worked for many years. Peru, the remarkable astronomer and geographer Claudius Ptolemy (circa 90-160 AD), owns the essay "Guide to Geography", containing information about eight thousand great geographers geographical objects with their coordinates. Until the 16th century, the works of Strabo and Ptolemy remained the most authoritative studies in geography, being the reference books of scientists, travelers and merchants of the Renaissance. In the XV-XVI centuries, during the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, new invaluable information was obtained for the science of the Earth. And although people were called on the road not by the desire to comprehend the unknown, but by the thirst for enrichment, travelers discovered unknown oceans, continents and islands, studied the laws of the movement of winds and ocean currents, got acquainted with the culture and customs of other peoples.

At the end of the XVI century. the first results of the Great geographical discoveries were summarized in their cartographic works by G. Mercator and A. Ortelius. Mercator made maps the globe, and Ortelius - the first historical and geographical atlas. At the same time, the “Big Drawing” was created in Russia - one of the oldest maps of the Russian state.

The rapid development of science in the XVII-XVIII centuries. did not bypass geography. In the work of B. Varen (Varenius) "General Geography" (1650), a classification of sections of geographical science was first proposed, new data on the planet were summarized. This work, advanced for its time, was translated into Russian by order of Peter I. In the XVIII century. the first works of American geographers appeared, and in Western Europe published detailed geographical encyclopedias. The active development of the territory of Russia gave a powerful impetus to the development of geography. At the origins of the Russian geographical school were such outstanding scientists as V.N. Tatishchev and M.V. Lomonosov.

The largest geographers of the XIX century - A. Humboldt, K. Ritter, I. Tyunen, K.I. Arseniev laid the foundation new geography. The comparative method, natural and economic zoning, and spatial mathematical modeling appeared in Earth science.

For the great English biologist C. Darwin (1809-1882) and his followers, the evolution of the organic world was inextricably linked with the history of the environment. natural environment. Under the influence of evolutionary teaching, geographers also began to consider the organic world as the most important component of nature. Modern geography is unthinkable without the works of D.N. Anuchina, V.V. Dokuchaeva, V.I. Vernadsky, L.S. Berg, V.V. Polynova, P.P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky and many other remarkable scientists.

On August 18, we celebrate the birthday of the Russian Geographical Society - one of the oldest Russian public organizations, and the only one that has continuously existed since its inception in 1845.

Just think about it: neither wars, nor revolutions, nor periods of devastation, timelessness, and the collapse of the country did not stop its existence! There have always been daredevils, scientists, mad researchers who, both in prosperous and in the most difficult times, took any risk for the sake of science. And even now, at the moment, new full members of the Russian Geographical Society are on their way. "MIR 24" tells only about some of the great travelers who glorified the Russian Geographical Society.

Ivan Krusenstern (1770 - 1846)

Photo: unknown artist, 1838.

Russian navigator, admiral, one of the initiators of the creation of the Russian Geographical Society. He led the first Russian round-the-world expedition.

Even in his youth, fellow students in the Naval Cadet Corps noted the unbending, "sea" character of the future Russian admiral. His faithful colleague, friend and rival Yuri Lisyansky, who became the commander of the second ship in their legendary circumnavigation, noted that the main qualities of cadet Kruzenshtern were "reliability, commitment and lack of interest in everyday life».

It was then, during the years of study, that his dreams were born to explore distant lands and oceans. However, they did not come true soon, only in 1803. As part of the first Russian round the world expedition included the ships "Nadezhda" and "Neva".
During this expedition, new way to Russian possessions in Kamchatka and Alaska. The map was marked West Coast Japan, southern and East End Sakhalin, a part of the Kuril ridge has been comprehensively studied.

Photo: "I. F. Krusenstern in Avacha Bay”, Friedrich Georg Veitsch, 1806

During his round-the-world trip, measurements of current speed, temperature at different depths, determination of salinity and specific gravity of water, and much more were carried out. Thus, Ivan Kruzenshtern became one of the founders of Russian oceanology.

Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (1827 - 1914)

Photo: Alexandre Quinet, 1870

Vice-chairman of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society and its leading scientist - but not an armchair. He was a brave and stubborn pioneer. He explored Altai, Tarbagatai, Semirechensky and Zailiysky Alatau, Lake Issyk-Kul. Only climbers will be able to appreciate the way the brave traveler mountains Central Tien Shan, where Europeans have not yet been able to reach. He discovered and for the first time conquered the peak of Khan Tengri with glaciers on its slopes and proved that the opinion of the international scientific world that a range of volcanoes erupts in these places is erroneous. The scientist also found out where the sources of the Naryn, Sarydzhaz and Chu rivers come from, penetrated into the upper reaches of the Syr Darya, which had not been traveled before.

Semenov-Tyan-Shansky became the actual creator of the new Russian geographical school, offering the international scientific world a fundamentally new way of knowledge. Being at the same time a geologist, botanist and zoologist, he first began to consider natural systems in their unity. A geological structure mountains compared with the mountainous terrain and identified patterns on which the entire scientific world.

Nikolai Miklukho-Maclay (1846-1888)

Photo: ITAR-TASS, 1963

The famous Russian traveler, anthropologist, explorer, who made a number of expeditions to the unexplored New Guinea and other Pacific islands. Accompanied by only two servants, he lived among the Papuans for a long time, collected the richest materials about primitive peoples, made friends with them, and helped them.

In his travels, Miklouho-Maclay also collected a lot of information about the peoples of Indonesia and Malaya, the Philippines, Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and western Polynesia. He was ahead of his time. His work was not sufficiently appreciated in the 19th century, but anthropological researchers of the 20th and 21st centuries consider his contribution to science to be a real scientific feat.

Nikolai Przhevalsky (1839-1888)

Photo: ITAR-TASS, 1948

Russian military figure, major general, one of the greatest Russian geographers and travelers, who consciously prepared himself for travel since the gymnasium.

Przhevalsky devoted 11 years of his life to long expeditions. First, he led a two-year expedition to the Ussuri region (1867-1869), and after that, in 1870-1885, he made four trips to the little-known regions of Central Asia.

The first expedition in the region of Central Asia was devoted to the study of Mongolia, China and Tibet. Przhevalsky collected scientific evidence that the Gobi is not a plateau, and the Nanshan mountains are not a ridge, but a mountain system. The explorer owns the discovery of a whole series of mountains, ranges, and lakes.

During the second expedition, the scientist discovered new Altyntag mountains, and for the first time described two rivers and a lake. And the border of the Tibet highlands, thanks to his research, had to be moved more than 300 km to the north on the maps.

In the third expedition, Przhevalsky singled out several ranges in Nanshan, Kunlun and Tibet, described Lake Kukunor, as well as the upper reaches of the great rivers of China, the Huang He and Yangtze. Despite his illness, the discoverer also organized the fourth expedition to Tibet in 1883-1885, during which he discovered a number of new lakes and ridges.

He described more than 30 thousand kilometers of the path he traveled, collected unique collections. He discovered not only mountains and rivers, but also hitherto unknown representatives of the animal world: a wild camel, a Tibetan bear, a wild horse.
Like many prominent geographers of that time, Przhevalsky was the owner of a good and lively literary language. He wrote several books about his travels, in which he gave a vivid description of Asia: its flora, fauna, climate and the peoples inhabiting it.

Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky (1863-1944)

Photo: Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky, 1912

Ancestor of the era of color photography in Russia. He was the first to capture in color nature, cities and people's lives over a vast stretch from Baltic Sea to the East of Russia.

He created a system of color reproduction for photography: from the recipe of the emulsion that is applied to glass plates for photography, to the drawings of special equipment for color photography and the projection of the resulting color images.

Since 1903, he has been constantly on trips: with the obsession of a real traveler, he takes pictures natural beauty Russia, its inhabitants, cities, architectural monuments - all genuine sights Russian Empire.

In December 1906-January 1907 Prokudin-Gorsky traveled to Turkestan with an expedition of the Russian Geographical Society to photograph the solar eclipse. It was not possible to capture the eclipse in color, but the ancient monuments of Bukhara and Samarkand, colorful local types of people and much more were filmed.

In the autumn of 1908, Nicholas II himself provided Prokudin-Gorsky with the necessary vehicles and gives permission to shoot in any place, so that the photographer can capture "in natural colors" all the main sights of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. In total, it is planned to take 10 thousand pictures in 10 years.

A few days after meeting with the tsar, the photographer sets off along the Mariinsky waterway from St. Petersburg almost to the Volga itself. For three and a half years he has been constantly moving and taking pictures. First, he takes pictures of the northern part of the industrial Urals. Then he makes two trips along the Volga, capturing it from its very sources to Nizhny Novgorod. In between, removes southern part Ural. And then - numerous monuments of antiquity in Kostroma and the Yaroslavl province. In the spring and autumn of 1911, the photographer manages to visit the Trans-Caspian region and Turkestan twice more, where he tried color filming for the first time in history.

This is followed by two photo expeditions to the Caucasus, where he photographs the Mugan steppe, undertakes a grandiose trip along the planned Kama-Tobolsk waterway, conducts extensive surveys of areas associated with the memory of Patriotic war 1812 - from Maloyaroslavets to Lithuanian Vilna, photographs Ryazan, Suzdal, the construction of the Kuzminskaya and Beloomutovskaya dams on the Oka.

Then financial difficulties begin, the financing of expeditions is interrupted. In 1913-1914. Prokudin-Gorsky is engaged in the creation of the first color cinema. But the further development of this new project was prevented by the First World War. None of Prokudin-Gorsky's experimental color films has yet been found.

Artur Chilingarov (born 1939)

Photo: Lev Fedoseev/ITAR-TASS

Famous polar explorer, Hero Soviet Union, Hero Russian Federation, a prominent Russian scientist, author of a number of scientific papers on the development of the North and the Arctic. Lives and works in Moscow.

Since 1963 he has been studying the Northern Arctic Ocean and oceanic atmosphere at the Arctic Research Observatory in the village of Tiksi. In 1969, he headed the North Pole-19 station, created on drifting ice, since 1971 he worked as the head of the Bellingshausen station, and since 1973 - the head of the North Pole-22 station. In 1985, he led the operation to rescue the worn out Antarctic ice expedition ship "Mikhail Somov". The icebreaker "Vladivostok" broke the ice around the diesel-electric ship and freed its crew from the blockade, which lasted as much as 133 days.

In 1987, Chilingarov led the team of the nuclear-powered icebreaker Sibir, which reached the geographic North Pole in free navigation. In January 2002, the traveler proved the possibility of operating light aircraft in Antarctica: he reached the South Pole on a single-engine An-ZT aircraft.

Photo: Roman Denisov/ITAR-TASS

In the summer of 2007, the famous polar explorer led an Arctic expedition aboard the Akademik Fedorov, which proved that the Arctic Ocean shelf is a continuation of the Siberian continental platform. The Mir-1 and Mir-2 vehicles were submerged to the bottom of the ocean, one of which was carrying Chilingarov himself. He also set a kind of record as the first person in the world to visit both the South and North Poles within six months.

Nikolai Litau (born 1955)

Photo: from the archive

Honored Master of Sports, Russian yachtsman, who made three round-the-world trips on the Apostol Andrey yacht built under his leadership. Awarded with the Order of Courage. During three round-the-world trips, Apostol Andrew left 110,000 nautical miles astern, visited all the continents of the planet, passed all the oceans and set five world records.

Here is what Nikolai Litau told a MIR 24 correspondent: “I made three round-the-world voyages on the Apostle Andrey. The first is around the Eastern Hemisphere through the Northern Sea Route, the second is around the Western Hemisphere, through the straits of the Canadian arctic archipelago and third, the Antarctic: in 2005-06, we circled Antarctica, all the time being above 60 degrees of latitude, the invisible border of Antarctica. The latter has not yet been repeated by anyone. The fourth global voyage, in which I happened to take part, took place in 2012-13. It was an international round-the-world trip, its route passed mainly through warm and comfortable tropical latitudes. I was the captain-instructor on Russian yacht Royal Leopard and went half the distance. During this voyage, I crossed my jubilee - the tenth equator. IN last years we are engaged in memorial trips on the yacht "Apostol Andrey" in the Russian Arctic. We recall the names of outstanding Russian sailors: Vladimir Rusanov, Georgy Sedov, Boris Vilkitsky, Georgy Brusilov and others.”

Photo: from the archive

Exactly one year ago, Nikolai Litau traveled to the Arctic for the eleventh time on the yacht Apostol Andrey. The route of this journey passed through Beloe, Barents and Kara Sea, the islands of the Arctic Institute in the Kara Sea were explored. Ahead - new expeditions.

They are always attracted by the horizon line, an endless strip that goes into the distance. Their faithful friends are ribbons of roads leading to the unknown, mysterious and mysterious. They were the first to push the boundaries, opening up new lands to humanity and the amazing beauty of metrics. These people are the most famous travelers.

Travelers who made the most important discoveries

Three-quarters of Columbus' life was spent sailing. He traveled on Portuguese ships, managed to live in Lisbon and on British Isles. Stopping briefly in a foreign land, he constantly painted geographic Maps, made new travel plans.

It still remains a mystery how he managed to plan himself shortcut from Europe to India. His calculations were based on the discoveries of the 15th century and on the fact that the Earth is spherical.

Gathering 90 volunteers in 1492-1493, on three ships he set off on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean. He became the discoverer of the central part of the Bahamas, the Greater and Lesser Antilles. He owns the discovery of the northeast coast of Cuba.

The second expedition, which lasted from 1493 to 1496, already consisted of 17 ships and 2.5 thousand people. He discovered the islands of Dominica, Small Antilles, island of Puerto Rico. After 40 days of sailing, having arrived in Castile, he notified the government of the opening of a new route to Asia.

After 3 years, having collected 6 ships, he led an expedition across the Atlantic. In Haiti, because of the denunciation of the envious of his successes, Columbus was arrested and shackled. He received liberation, but he kept the chains all his life, as a symbol of betrayal.

He was the discoverer of America. Until the end of his life, he mistakenly believed that it was connected to Asia by a thin isthmus. He believed that it was he who opened the sea route to India, although history later showed the fallacy of his delusions.

Vasco da Gama. He was lucky to live in the era of the great geographical discoveries. Perhaps that is why he dreamed of traveling and dreamed of becoming a discoverer of uncharted lands.

He was a nobleman. The family was not the most noble, but had ancient roots. As a young man, he became interested in mathematics, navigation and astronomy. Since childhood, he hated secular society, playing the piano and French, which noble nobles tried to "shine".

Decisiveness and organizational skills made Vasco da Gama close to Emperor Charles VIII, who, having decided to create an expedition to open a sea route to India, appointed him the main one.

At his disposal were provided 4 new ships specially built for the voyage. Vasco da Gama was supplied with the latest navigational instruments and provided naval artillery.

A year later, the expedition reached the shores of India, stopping in the first city of Calicut (Kozhikode). Despite the cold meeting of the natives and even military clashes, the goal was achieved. Vasco da Gama became the discoverer sea ​​route to India.

They discovered the mountainous and desert regions of Asia, made bold expeditions to Far North, they "wrote" history, glorifying the Russian land.

Great Russian travelers

The famous naturalist Ernst Haeckel became interested in the 19-year-old guy, inviting him to his expedition to study marine fauna.

In 1869, having returned to St. Petersburg, he enlisted the support of the Russian Geographical Society and went to study New Guinea. It took a year to prepare the expedition. He swam ashore coral sea, and stepping on the ground did not even guess that the descendants of this place would be named after him.

Having lived for more than a year in New Guinea, he not only discovered new lands, but also taught the natives how to grow corn, pumpkin, beans and fruit trees. He studied the life of the natives in Java, the Louisiades and the Solomon Islands. He spent 3 years in Australia.

He died at 42. Doctors diagnosed him with severe deterioration of the body.

Afanasy Nikitin is the first Russian traveler to visit India and Persia. Returning back, he visited Somalia, Turkey and Muscat. His notes "Journey Beyond Three Seas" have become valuable historical and literary aids. He simply and truthfully outlined medieval India in his notes.

A native of a peasant family proved that even a poor person can make a trip to India. The main thing is to set a goal.

The world has not revealed all its secrets to man. Until now, there are people who dream of opening the veil of unknown worlds.

Notable modern travelers

And let the era of great discoveries be long behind us. It doesn't matter that the Earth has been photographed thousands of times from space. Let travelers and discoverers discover all the places of the globe. He, like a child, believes that there is still a lot of unknown things in the world.

He has 40 expeditions and ascents to his credit. He crossed the seas and oceans, was in the North and south poles, committed 4 circumnavigation, crossed the Atlantic 15 times. Of these, once on a rowboat. He made most of his travels alone.

Everyone knows his name. His programs had millions of viewers. He is the one great person who gave this world the unusual beauty of nature, hidden from view in the bottomless depths. Fedor Konyukhov visited different places on our planet, including in the hottest place in Russia, which is located in Kalmykia. The site has Jacques-Yves Cousteau, perhaps the most famous traveler in the world

Even during the war, he continued his experiments and studies of the underwater world. He decided to devote the first film to sunken ships. And the Germans, who occupied France, allowed him to engage in research activities and filming.

He dreamed of a ship that would be equipped with modern technology for filming and observation. He was helped by a complete stranger who gave Cousteau a small military minesweeper. After renovation work, it became famous ship"Calypso".

The crew of the ship were researchers: a journalist, a navigator, a geologist, a volcanologist. His assistant and companion was his wife. Later, 2 of his sons also took part in all expeditions.

Cousteau recognized the best specialist underwater research. He received an offer to head the famous Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. He not only studied undersea world, but also engaged in activities to protect the marine and oceanic habitats.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen

One of the important stages in the history of human development is the era of discoverers. The maps with the seas marked on them are being refined, the ships are being improved, and the leaders are sending their sailors to seize new lands.

In contact with

Era Feature

The term "great geographical discoveries" conditionally combined historical events, starting from the middle of the 15th century and ending with the middle of the 17th. Europeans were actively engaged in the exploration of new lands.

For the emergence of this era, there were prerequisites: the search for new trade routes and development of navigation. Until the 15th century, the British already knew North America with Iceland. Many famous travelers entered the history, among them were Afanasy Nikitin, Rubrik and others.

Important! Began great era geographical discoveries, Prince Henry of Portugal, the Navigator, this event took place at the beginning of the 15th century.

First Accomplishments

Geographical science of that time was in serious decline. Lone sailors tried to share their discoveries with the public, but this did not work, and there was more fiction in their stories than truth. Data on what and who discovered at sea or on the coastal strip were lost and forgotten, no one had updated the maps for a long time. Skippers were simply afraid to go to sea, because not everyone had navigation skills.

Heinrich built a citadel near Cape Sagres, created a school of navigation and sent expeditions, collecting information about the winds in the sea, distant peoples and shores. The period of great geographical discoveries began with his activities.

Among the discoveries of Portuguese travelers are:

1. Madeira Island,
2. west coast of africa,
3. Cape Verde,
4. Cape of Good Hope,
5. Azores,
6. Congo river.

Why was it necessary to find new lands

The list of reasons for the advent of the era of navigation includes:

• active development of crafts and trade;
• the growth of European cities during the 15th and 16th centuries;
• depletion of known precious metal mines;
• the development of maritime navigation and the advent of the compass;
• interruption of the economic ties of Southern Europe with China and India after .

Important Points

Significant periods that went down in history, the times when famous travelers made their trips and expeditions:

The era of great geographical discoveries began in 1492, when America was discovered;

• 1500 - exploration of the mouth of the Amazon;
• 1513 - Vasco de Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean;
• 1519-1553 - the conquest of South America;
• 1576-1629 - Russian campaigns in Siberia;
• 1603-1638 - exploration of Canada;
• 1642-1643 - visiting Tasmania and New Zealand;
• 1648 - study of Kamchatka.

Conquest of South America

Spanish and Portuguese navigators

Along with the Portuguese sea ​​travel famous travelers of Spain begin to undertake. , having good knowledge in the field of geography and navigation, suggested that the rulers of the country reach India by another route, following west across the Atlantic Ocean. The one who later discovered many new lands was given three caravels, on which brave sailors left the port on August 3, 1492.

Already by the beginning of October, they arrived at the first island, which became known as San Salvador, later they discovered Haiti and Cuba. It was a fruitful journey of Columbus, as a result of which caribbean. Then there were two more, pointing the way to Central and South America.

Christopher Columbus - a mysterious person

First he visited the island of Cuba, and only then discovered America. Columbus was surprised to meet on the island a civilized people who had a rich culture, were engaged in the cultivation of cotton, tobacco and potatoes. Cities decorated big statues and large buildings.

Interesting! Everyone knows the name of Christopher Columbus. However, very little is known about his life and travels.

About the birth of this legendary navigator are still arguing. Several cities claim to be the birthplace of Columbus, but this is no longer known for certain. He took part in boat trips mediterranean sea, and later went on large expeditions from his native Portugal.

Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan was also from Portugal. Born in 1480. Early left without parents, he tried to survive on his own, working as a messenger. Since childhood, he was attracted by the sea, attracted by the thirst for travel and discovery.

At the age of 25, Ferdinand set sail for the first time. He quickly learned the maritime profession while staying off the coast of India and soon became a captain. He wanted to return to his homeland, talking about beneficial cooperation with the East, but he achieved results only with the coming to power of Charles the First.

Important! The era of great geographical discoveries began in the middle of the 15th century. Magellan warned her attack by making a trip around the world.

In 1493 Magellan leads an expedition west of Spain. He has a goal: to prove that the islands located there belong to his country. No one thought that the journey would become around the world, and the navigator would discover many new things along the way. The one who opened the way to the "South Sea" did not return home, but died in the Philippines. His team arrived at home only in 1522.

Russian pioneers

Representatives of Russia and their discoveries joined the orderly ranks of the famous European navigators. Several outstanding personalities have made a great contribution to the improvement of the world map, which are worth knowing about.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen

Bellingshausen was the first who dared to lead an expedition to the uncharted shores of Antarctica, and around the world. This event took place in 1812. The navigator set out to prove or disprove the existence of the sixth mainland, which was only talked about. The expedition crossed Indian Ocean, Quiet, Atlantic. Its participants made a great contribution to the development of geography. The expedition under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Bellingshausen lasted 751 days.

Interesting! Previously, attempts were made to get to Antarctica, but they all failed, only Russian famous travelers turned out to be more lucky and stubborn.

The navigator Bellingshausen went down in history as the discoverer of many species of animals and more than 20 large islands. The captain was one of the few who managed to find their way, follow it and not destroy the barriers.

Nikolai Przhevalsky

Among the Russian travelers was the one who discovered most Central Asia. Nikolai Przhevalsky always dreamed of visiting unexplored Asia. This continent beckoned him. The navigator led each of the four expeditions that explored Central Asia. Curiosity led to the discovery and study of such mountain systems like Kun-Lun and the ranges of Northern Tibet. The sources of the Yangtze and Huang He rivers, as well as Lob-nora and Kuhu-nora were investigated. Nikolai was the second explorer after Marco Polo to reach Lob-nor.

Przhevalsky, like others / travelers of the era of great geographical discoveries, considered himself a happy person, because fate gave him the opportunity to explore mysterious countries Asian world. Many species of animals described by him during his travels are named after him.

The first Russian circumnavigation

Ivan Kruzenshtern and his colleague Yuri Lisyansky firmly inscribed their names in the history of great discoveries in geography. They led the first expedition around the globe, which lasted more than three years - from 1803 to 1806. During this period, sailors on two ships crossed the Atlantic, sailed through Cape Horn, after which they arrived in Kamchatka along the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There, researchers studied the Kuriles and Sakhalin Island. Their coast was clarified, and data on all the waters visited by the expedition were also entered on the map. Kruzenshtern compiled an atlas of the Pacific Ocean.

The expedition under the command of the admiral was the first to cross the equator. This event was celebrated according to tradition.

Exploration of the Eurasian continent

Eurasia - huge continent, but it is problematic to name the only person who would open it.

Surprise causes one moment. If everything is clear with America and Antarctica, the famous names of the great navigators are reliably inscribed in the history of their existence, then the man who discovered Europe did not get the laurels, because he simply does not exist.

If we discard the search for one navigator, then we can list many names who have contributed to the study of the surrounding world and took part in expeditions around the mainland and its coastal zone. Europeans are accustomed to consider themselves only explorers of Eurasia, but Asian navigators and their discoveries are no less in scope.

Historians know which of the Russian writers made a round-the-world trip, except for the famous navigators. It was Ivan Goncharov, who participated in the expedition on a military sailing ship. His impressions of the trip resulted in a large collection of diaries describing distant countries.

The Importance of Cartography

People could hardly move on the sea without good navigation. Previously, their main reference point was the starry sky at night and the sun during the day. Many maps during the period of great geographical discoveries were dependent on the sky. A map has been preserved since the 17th century, on which the scientist plotted all known coastal zones and the continents, but Siberia and North America remained unknown, because no one knew how far they were and how far the continents themselves extended.

The atlases of Gerard van Köhlen were the richest in terms of information. Captains and famous travelers crossing the Atlantic were grateful for the charting of details about Iceland, Holland and Labrador.

Unusual information

preserved in history Interesting Facts about travelers:

1. James Cook became the first person to visit all six continents.
2. Seafarers and their discoveries changed the face of many lands, so James Cook brought sheep to the islands of Tahiti and New Zealand.
3. Che Guevara, before his revolutionary activities, was a lover of riding a motorcycle, he made a tour of 4 thousand kilometers, touring South America.
4. Charles Darwin traveled by ship, where he wrote his greatest work on evolution. But they didn’t want to take the man on board, and it was in the shape of the nose. It seemed to the captain that such a person would not be able to cope with a long load. Darwin had to be off the team and buy his own uniforms.

The era of the great geographical discoveries 15-17 centuries

Great pioneers

Conclusion

Thanks to the heroism and purposefulness of the sailors, people received valuable information about the world. This served as an impetus for many changes, contributed to the development of trade, the industrial sector, and the strengthening of relations with other peoples. Most importantly, it has been practically proven that it has a rounded shape.