Age of Exploration

Name the two rival countries in the early stages of the Age of Exploration. 

• France and Germany 
• Spain and Portugal 
• France and Portugal 
• Britain and the Netherlands 

Which of the following events forced the Europeans to search for a westward route to Asia? 

• Fall of Constantinople 
• The Holy Crusades 
• Travels of Marco Polo 
• Reign of Prince Henry the Navigator 

In 1497, this Portuguese explorer succeeded in reaching India by rounding the southern coast of Africa. 

• Bartholomeu Dias
• Vasco da Gama
• Christopher Columbus
• Amerigo Vespucci 

Also known as the Spice Islands, these islands became the target of business-minded Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries. 

• Hispaniola 
• Molucccas
• East Indies 
• China 

These products were extremely popular in Europe in the 15th-17th centuries as their cost was equal to their weight in gold. 

• Silk 
• Gunpowder
• Spices
• Porcelain 

This Italian explorer sailed under the flag of Spain in search of a more direct route to Asia. 

• Amerigo Vespucci 
• Christopher Columbus
• Vasco da Gama
• Vasco Nunez de Balboa 

He was a Portuguese soldier and explorer whose voyage eventually led to the first circumnavigation of the globe. 

• Ferdinand Magellan 
• Vasco da Gama 
• Christopher Columbus
• Vasco Nunez de Balboa

This Spanish explorer was the first European to sight the Pacific Ocean. His life was cut short when the jealous governor of Darien ordered him executed for treason. 

• Vasco da Gama
• Ferdinand Magellan 
• Vasco Nunez de Balboa 
• Amerigo Vespucci 

This Italian explorer was able to discover a new continent that was eventually named after him. 

• Amerigo Vespucci 
• Vasco Nunez de Balboa
• Christopher Columbus 
• Ferdinand Magellan 

True or False: The exploration and discovery of new lands eventually led to the colonization of Asia by the Europeans. 

• True
• False