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9 votes
2 answers
413 views

Do maps dating back to 1489/90 show Ascension and St Helena even though these islands were supposedly only discovered in 1501 and 1502 respectively?

The 1504 Vesconte Maggiolo Map appears to be the first map to name and accurately locate the islands of St Helena and Ascension as single isloated islands. Ascension was shown in a similar location ...
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5 votes
3 answers
321 views

When did the Portuguese decide to extend their West African exploration to finding a sea passage to India?

In 1421, when the Portuguese began the southwards exploration of the West African coast under Prince Henry the Navigator, their primary aim (there were several) was to find the source of wealthy goods ...
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34 votes
3 answers
5k views

When the Portuguese began the exploration of the West African Coast, did they believe the Indian Ocean was an enclosed sea?

The Ptolemy map shows the Indian Ocean as an enclosed sea separated from the Atlantic by land extending from Africa to Malaya. Therefore, it suggests it is impossible to reach the Indian Ocean from ...
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