Exploration of the Pacific
Polynesians, Asians, and Europeans progressively explored the vast Pacific.
Lore & Background
During the Middle Ages, Muslim traders linked the Middle East and East Africa to the Asian Pacific coasts, reaching southern China and much of the Malay Archipelago. Additional expeditions from Mexico and Peru encountered various archipelagos in the North and South Pacific. In the 17th and 18th centuries, other European powers sent expeditions to the Pacific, namely the Dutch Republic, England, France, and Russia.
Reader's Guide
The exploration of the Pacific represents a millennia-long process of human expansion and cross-cultural contact. Their possession of the South American sweet potato suggests possible contact with the Americas, though the direction remains uncertain. These voyages gradually revealed the true size and shape of the Pacific, transforming global geography and commerce.
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