Great navigators and their discoveries. Great navigators and their discoveries The most important discoveries of two centuries

Today it is difficult to imagine, but in the 16th century Europeans were just discovering distant lands and countries, going to unknown lands across the vast expanses of seas and oceans . There were many white spots on the world map at that time, and the great navigators sought to remove the dark curtain that hid the globe from their eyes. The passion for new discoveries called forward, towards dangers, freezing winds and raging storms.

From the second half of the 16th century, Holland occupied a prominent place in the history of the most important geographical discoveries. The name of Willem Barents, a native of North Holland, is associated with the largest travels in terms of their significance. He was born in 1550 on the island of Terschelling in the family of a fisherman. In his childhood and adolescence he spent a lot of time at sea, helping his father.

After graduating from the navigation and cartographic school in Amsterdam, together with his teacher Peter Plancius he made cruise to the Mediterranean Sea, after which the two of them compiled an atlas of this region, and Barents received a navigator’s diploma. Further traces of his biography are lost until the nineties.

In 1594, Barents was appointed captain of the ship Mercury, one of three ships in an expedition whose goal was to open the route to China. At that time, Portugal and Spain completely controlled the sea route along the coast of India, not allowing other powers to pass, monopolizing trade with China, India and other countries in the region. Therefore, it was decided to look for a road through the northern seas. The famous Flemish mathematician and cartographer Gerard Mercator believed that getting to China through the northeast was much more convenient and easier. Peter Plancius supported this opinion. In the 16th century there was still a misconception that the area North Pole not all is covered with ice and there is free space, which Barents set out with his expedition to look for.

The ships set sail from Tessel Island on June 6, taking different routes along the way. Barents, following his course, reached the shores of Novaya Zemlya a month later. Along its western coast, the Mercury reached Cape Nassau, where the Dutch met huge masses floating ice, through which they tried to break through for almost a month, changing direction. Having finally reached the Oran Islands, which the Dutch named in honor of the Prince of Orange, who ruled their country, at the northern outskirts of Novaya Zemlya, Barents was forced to turn back, as the team was completely exhausted. Two other ships in the Kara Sea were detained by ice and returned.

In Holland, the results of the expedition were inspired; this sea voyage was considered very successful. Hopes arose that the kingdom of China could actually be reached, and that it was not as far away as expected.

The second expedition, undertaken in 1595, was unsuccessful - the Yugra Strait was blocked by ice, and the ships had to return. But attempts to find a northern route to Asia did not stop, and already in the next 1596, a new expedition set off from Amsterdam. Following a new course, the sailors discovered an unknown island, where they first saw the owner of the northern land - polar bear. The Europeans were so shocked that they named the island after him.

Continuing to move north, on May 17, Barents brought his ship to the rocky shores and at first decided that this was Greenland, but, realizing his mistake, he indicated a new name in the ship’s log - Spitsbergen, which means “Pointed Mountains”.

Following his goal, Barents not only reached Novaya Zemlya, but also, rounding its northern tip, descended along eastern shore to the Kara Sea. However, ice blocks prevented further progress, and they had to drop anchor in a small bay. The ship was squeezed on all sides by ice and, in the end, breaking through under it, it was pushed to the surface like a piece of wood. On August 30, the sailors had to leave the ship and set up camp on the shore. Here they survived the long polar winter, enduring hunger, protecting themselves from terrible frosts, winds and wild animals. And only on June 13, the sea cleared of ice, and the Dutch were able to escape from captivity by ice, setting off on the return journey. But Barents by that time was already very ill, and a week later, without fulfilling his cherished dream - to get to the kingdom of China and Hina, great traveler died. His comrades managed to reach the mainland with great difficulty.

Willem Barents is the glory of Holland, rich in brave and skillful sailors. The discoveries of the famous Dutch traveler made an invaluable contribution to the expansion of geographical ideas about the world. The Barents Sea was named after him. Long before Barents, the northern seas and lands were explored by Russian Pomors. But only thanks to the Dutchman these areas were put on the world map.

The great navigators of that time, at the cost of great efforts, sacrifices and dedication, explored a vast space globe, which became increasingly understandable and accessible.

Christopher Columbus.

This was 500 years ago. European sailors were looking for a way to the land of fabulous wealth - India. The bravest of them set off on dangerous voyages across uncharted seas and oceans.

In the summer of 1492, Admiral Columbus gave the command to raise the sails, and the caravels "Nina", "Pinta" and "Santa Maria" sailed from Spain. Began famous journey through Atlantic Ocean- “Sea of ​​Darkness.” On the seventieth day of the voyage, a sailor shouted from the mast of the Pinta caravel: “Earth! I see the earth! This is how America was discovered.

Christopher Columbus did not know that he had discovered a new part of the world. Until the end of his life, he believed that he had sailed to India.

Ferdinand Magellan.

The first trip around the world was made by a sailor from Portugal - Ferdinand Magellan. In the fall of 1519, the Spanish flotilla under the command of Magellan set off. Across the Atlantic Ocean, through a strait in South America, the ships reached the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. For four months, suffering from thirst and hunger, travelers sailed through the vast waters of the Great Ocean and finally reached unknown islands.

The expedition suffered many losses. And among these losses is the death of Admiral Magellan. On the only surviving ship, the Victoria, the travelers continued sailing. On September 6, 1522, tormented by storms, the ship returned to Spain. There were only seventeen people on board. Thus ended the first voyage around the world in the history of navigation.

Willem Barents.

Dutch navigator Willem Barents was one of the first Arctic explorers. In 1596, during his third voyage in the northern seas, Barents's ship was covered in ice near the island of Novaya Zemlya. The sailors had to leave the ship and prepare for the winter. They built a house from logs and ship planks. The travelers spent a long polar winter in this dwelling. We endured both hunger and cold... The long-awaited summer has arrived. The ship was still trapped in ice. And the sailors decided to get home by boat. A chance meeting with Russian sailors - the Pomors - saved the Dutch from death. But Willem Barents was no longer among the rescued. The navigator died on the way to his homeland, in the sea, which would later be called the Barents Sea.

Vitus Bering.

On June 4, 1741, two Russian ships under the command of Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov set sail across the Pacific Ocean. They were tasked with finding a sea route from Kamchatka to America.

The journey was difficult. Chirikov's ship, after many months of wandering at sea, returned to Kamchatka. Bering continued sailing alone. In July 1741, Bering reached the shores of America. On his way back he discovered many islands. Luck pleased the captain. But the ship ran out of fresh water and food. The sailors were sick. Bering himself became seriously ill with scurvy. During a storm, a ship washed ashore on an unknown island. The sailors buried the commander on this island. Now the island bears Bering's name. The sea and the strait between Asia and America through which he passed are named after the famous captain.

James Cook.

James Cook began sailing ships as a boy - a cabin boy. Time passed, and Cook became the captain of the ship. In 1768, Captain Cook set out on his first voyage around the world on the ship Endever. He returned to his homeland, England, only three years later. Soon James Cook set off on a new voyage to find the mysterious “Southland”. He never found the “South Land,” but he discovered many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Cook's ships sailed under the scorching sun of the equator, and among the ice of the polar seas. James Cook was the first to circumnavigate the Earth three times.

F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. Lazarev.

In the summer of 1819 from Kronstadt to long voyage two sloops left - “Vostok” and “Mirny”. The ships were commanded by outstanding sailors of the Russian fleet Thaddeus Bellingshauseni Mikhail Lazarev. Having covered a huge distance, the Russian ships entered the cold Antarctic waters. Icebergs were increasingly encountered on their way. Swimming became dangerous. If a ship collides with an icy mountain, it won’t go well. But brave captains led the ships to the goal. And then the sailors saw the shore. The shore of the mysterious “Southern Land” - Antarctica. A sixth of the world has been discovered. This was done by Russian sailors. Now the seas are named after Bellingshausen and Lazarev. Two Soviet Antarctic scientific stations bear the names of the glorious ships - “Vostok” and “Mirny”.

N.N. Miklukho Maclay.

In 1871, the corvette Vityaz delivered to the island New Guinea traveler Miklouho-Maclay. Here he was to live for a long time, studying the life of the inhabitants of the island - the Papuans. These dark-skinned people lived as if they were in the Stone Age. And so the ship sailed, but the Russian traveler remained on the shore. The Papuans greeted the guest with hostility. But Miklouho-Maclay, with his kindness and courage, won the trust of the Guineans and became their faithful friend. The scientist admired their hard work and honesty. He taught the Papuans to use iron tools and gave them seeds of useful plants. Miklouho-Maclay visited New Guinea more than once. The memory of the great Russian traveler is still alive on the distant island.

Thor Heyerdahl.

It happens that in our time people go on trips on ancient ships. Such trips were made by the Norwegian scientist Thor Heyerdahl.

Ancient pyramids rise in South America. They are very similar to Egyptian pyramids, which stand on the other side of the ocean. Is this a coincidence? Maybe people swam from one continent to another 5000 years ago? Thor Heyerdahl decided to check this out. He built a boat in Egypt from a herbaceous plant - papyrus, as in ancient times, and called it “Ra”. On this boat, Heyerdahl and his friends sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. The first time he crossed half of the Pacific Ocean was on the Kon-Tiki raft. Heyerdahl recently made another amazing voyage on the reed ship Tigris. Representatives from different countries took part in all of Thor Heyerdahl's travels. Among them was the Russian scientist Yuri Senkevich.

The Tasman Sea, named after the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, is an area of ​​water between New Zealand and Australia. From north to south, the waters of the Tasmanian Sea extend for 2800 km. The maximum depth is considered to be a point in the East Australian Basin, which is located at a distance of 5200 m to the surface of the water. Look at the beauty.

Geography of the Tasman Sea

The first European navigator to reach New Zealand and Tasmania was none other than a subject of the Kingdom of the Netherlands - Abel Tasman. Subsequently, the Briton James Cook, who meticulously explored the marine territories near Australia, described the Tasman Sea during one of his expeditions in the 1770s. And what a story, read here.

In the Tasman Sea you can find a number of isolated islands lying at a fairly impressive distance from New Zealand and Australia. Although, in fairness, it should be noted this fact does not prevent Australians from actively developing tourism on the islands.

Sharks and other fun on the Tasman Sea

In the northern part of the sea, the water temperature can reach +27C, in the southern part it rises to +15C. Naturally, the flora and fauna of the Tasman Sea depends on the area. IN tropical zone inhabited by living creatures typical of the Coral Sea. From the southern tip of the sea, where the cool breath of Antarctica prevails, the flora is represented big amount representatives: brown, green, red algae, zooplankton, phytoalgae, microscopic crustaceans.

The fauna is represented by the inhabitants of the World Ocean. These include pelagic fish, marine animals, mammals, and other inhabitants that prefer to feed near corals. The abundance of zooplankton attracts cetaceans to the Tasman Sea: sperm whales, killer whales, and minke whales. Excursion cruises are organized for tourists to places where whales supposedly feast. I must say that it looks simply gorgeous.

But the main attraction of the sea is the sharks. There are a great many of them here, and different types. Great white sharks - blue, hammerhead, oceanic, long-finned - frighten tourists with their sharp fins. Closer to the coral formations you can find tiger and reef sharks. You can see the graceful predators in a diving cage.

Located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, it belongs to Indonesia. Its area is 453 thousand sq. km. The sea is named after island of the same name. Translated from Indonesian, "Sulawesi" means "iron island". Another name for the sea is Celebes.

Through the Sulawesi Sea, the waters of the Pacific Ocean enter the Indian Ocean. And the water level here is much higher than in neighboring water areas. This is because almost the entire sea is crossed by the Mindanao Current. The current brings a lot of water, which does not have time to escape through the straits into the oceans.

One of the scientific hypotheses suggests that underwater life on earth originated in Sulawesi. Be that as it may, scientists are still finding unique inhabitants in the sea. Thus, in 2007, several species of animals, still unknown to science, were discovered in the depths of Sulawesi. Among them are black jellyfish and sea cucumber.

- an interisland sea limited by the islands of the Philippine and Sulu archipelagos, as well as the islands of Kalimantan and Palawan. The area of ​​the sea is 335 thousand sq. km. South part The sea is considered a protected area. There are many coral reefs and atolls here.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Sulu Sea was inaccessible to Europeans, since power over the water area belonged to the Philippine Moro pirates. These pirates had a large fleet, completely controlled trade in the region, and often plundered coastal cities.

- the southernmost sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean. This is a huge area of ​​water separating Australia and New Zealand. The sea area is more than 3 million sq. km, the average depth is 3285 m.

The sea is named after the Dutch navigator A. Tasman, who was the first European to visit the New Zealand islands (1642).

The Tasman Sea is elongated along the meridian, so it covers three climatic zones at once - from tropical in the north to temperate in the south. This explains the heterogeneity of the underwater world. If in the north the sea warms up to +27ºC, then in the southern part you can often find icebergs sailing here from Antarctica.

It is located south of the equator near the Polynesian islands of Tuvalu, from which the sea gets its name. Translated from the local dialect "Tuvalu" - "eight standing together." This refers to the 8 atolls of the archipelago.

The Tuvalu Sea is small and long coastline only 21 km, so it is not always indicated on maps. But the sea is deep - the greatest depth is about 7000m.

Located in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean between the islands of New Zealand and Fiji. It ranks 6th in the world in area - more than 3 million sq. km, average depth - 2741 m. The seabed is heterogeneous; in its northern part there is a boundary of two lithospheric plates. Their collisions are the cause of numerous underwater volcanoes and earthquakes.

Due to its remoteness from the main sea routes, the Fiji Sea has not yet been developed. But this is precisely what makes the water area one of the cleanest from an environmental point of view. You can only get here by sea and only from the port of Sydney.

- the largest sea in the Pacific Ocean and the second largest sea on the planet. Area 5.7 million sq. km, average depth - 4100 m, greatest depth - 11022 m.

It does not have precise land borders and the conditional borders are marked by chains of islands: Japanese, Philippine, Mariana and the island of Taiwan. The deepest trench in the world, the Mariana Trench, separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean.

To the north and west of the sea lies a vast section of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is known for its high seismicity. The sea itself covers the boundaries of 4 climatic zones - from equatorial to subtropical, therefore undersea world there is infinite variety here.

A small interisland sea in the Malye area Sunda Islands. Occupies an area of ​​115 thousand square meters. km, average depth - 1522 m. Named after the island of Flores, which means “blooming” in Portuguese.

The sea is located in a zone of increased seismic activity. The eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 was the largest in human history. And the last earthquake was recorded in this area on February 28, 2015. Its source was located at a depth of 518 km, and the strength of the earthquake was 7 points.

Flores is one of the few seas where whaling is permitted.

Located between the Moluccas and New Guinea Islands in Indonesia. Area - 75 thousand sq. km, average depth - 747 m.

Like all tropical seas of the Pacific Ocean, Halmahera is rich in corals. The reefs are home to many species of fish and shellfish. Such a rich underwater world attracts divers from all over the world.

The sea received its name in honor of the island of the same name. Presumably translated from Malay, “halmahera” means “big land”.

It is located between the Indochina Peninsula and the islands of Taiwan, Palawan and Kalimantan. Area - 3.5 million sq. km, average depth - 1024 m.

A monsoon climate dominates over most of the sea's territory; powerful typhoons often occur in October and November.
The South China Sea was practically not used during the world wars as a springboard for battles. It has always had more transport significance. A significant section of the Main Sea Route stretches across the sea from northeast to southwest, which is used by most ships.

- interisland sea, limited by such large islands like Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra and Kalimantan. Area - 552 thousand sq. km, average depth - 111 m. Named after the island of the same name.

Most of the sea is located in the equator zone, so the vegetation here is sparse, but the fauna is striking in its abundance. It is known that the Java Sea is home to over 3 thousand species of fish, many of which are commercial (pink salmon, herring, mackerel). The prey of sharks and moray eels is very developed.

It washes the shores of China, Korea, Japan and Russia. The sea is narrow and elongated along the meridian, so it is customary to draw a conventional border between the northern and southern part Sea of ​​Japan. They differ in their climatic conditions as well as flora and fauna.

For Russia, the Sea of ​​Japan is considered the richest in species diversity. Over 600 species of fish live here (for comparison: in the Black Sea there are about 200 species), 225 species of algae, 12 species of sharks and 6 species of seals.

And in Korea this sea is called the East or East Korean Sea.

The time of discoverers of new lands for Europeans was the end of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The most inquisitive and restless people were grouped into three countries: Portugal, Spain and Russia.

The most important discoveries of two centuries

At the end of the eighties of the fifteenth century, great navigators from Portugal had already scoured both the western and South coast distant Africa, in 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed to the Bahamas, Small Antilles and discovered America, and 1497 also became important for geographical discoveries: Vasco da Gama discovered a sea route to India, rounding the African continent. And in 1498, Columbus, Vespucci and Omeja became the discoverers of South America, which they studied for five years, as well as Central America.

Russian great navigators explored mainly the Arctic Ocean. They walked around the entire vast northern Asia, discovered Taimyr, and proved that America is not a continuation of Asia, leaving the Arctic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait. This expedition was led by the great Russian navigator S. Dezhnev, as well as F. Popov. Since 1735, Khariton and Dmitry Laptev traveled through the Siberian seas, one of which was later named after them. The names of great navigators are usually present on the map they compiled.

The Dutchman V. Barents overtook New Earth and Spitsbergen. The Englishman G. Hudson and his associates discovered Greenland, Baffin Island, the Labrador Peninsula, the Frenchman S. Champilen discovered the northern Appalachians, and all five North American The Spaniard visited New Guinea. The Dutch W. Janszoon and A. Tasman mapped Australia, Tasmania and the islands of New Zealand.

Something about Columbus

He remained a mysterious man for posterity. Photos, of course, had not yet been invented. But the portraits remained. In them we see a man with a wise look and, it would seem, far from any adventurism. The whole personality and the troubled fate of Christopher Columbus are ambiguous, vague, you could write an epic novel about this, and even there it would not be possible to contain all the vicissitudes of his life’s path.

According to one of the many versions, he was born on the island of Corsica in 1451. Fierce scientific disputes are still ongoing on this topic: six cities in Italy and Spain swear that this is where Columbus was born.

His whole life is a legend. One thing is clear - he lived in Lisbon, and before that he traveled a lot on ships Mediterranean Sea. From there, from Portugal, Columbus’s most important voyages began, which the world’s greatest navigators had not yet completed.

Cuba Island and others

In 1492 he set foot on the island of Cuba. There Columbus found one of the most cultured peoples Latin America, who built huge buildings, sculpted beautiful statues, grew cotton, already familiar to Europe, and completely unknown potatoes and tobacco, which later conquered the whole world. To this day, the birthday of Christopher Columbus is a national holiday on this island.

Pioneer of the tropical Atlantic, first to penetrate the Caribbean Sea, discover South America and the isthmuses of the Central, which mapped the Bahamas archipelago, the Lesser and Greater Antilles Caribbean Sea, the island of Trinidad, is all Christopher Columbus. The photo reveals a handsome man calmly looking out from the portrait, without the slightest trace of anxiety on his face.

Let the Europeans claim that in North America The path to Columbus was paved by the Vikings from Iceland in the eleventh century. In the Middle Ages, going by sea across the ocean for the tenth time was incredibly difficult and dangerous. And in any case, there are too many lands on the two American continents that no one discovered before Columbus.

From ship messengers to great navigators

Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480 in northern Portugal and was orphaned at the age of ten. In search of a piece of bread, he got a job at the royal court - as a messenger. And he went to sea for the first time at twenty-five, although he adored the sea since childhood. It was not in vain that Magellan dreamed of great navigators and their discoveries. He managed to get into the team of F. de Almeido, who for the first time moved ships under the flag of Spain to the East.

Magellan turned out to be a very capable student; he quickly mastered maritime affairs in all professions. Staying in India, living in Mozambique, he finally became a captain. It was possible to return to their homeland.

For five years he convinced the Portuguese ruler of all the benefits of eastern expeditions, but things did not go well, and in 1517 Magellan entered the service of King Charles, for now the first and Spanish, but in the future - the emperor of the Roman Empire.

Trip around the world

In 1493, the Pope issued a bull stating that the new lands being discovered to the east were Portuguese, and to the west - Spanish. Magellan led an expedition to the west to bring back evidence that the spice islands belonged to Spain.

And this journey, which had such a small and mercantile goal, turned out to be the first in the world trip around the world. The great navigators and their discoveries, which called Magellan in childhood dreams, are far behind. No one had ever undertaken such a voyage, especially since not all travelers assumed at that time that the earth was round.

Magellan did not have time to present the world with evidence of his assumptions; he died on this expedition - in the Philippines. Nevertheless, he died confident that he was right. The remnants of the team returned to Spain only in 1522.

Cossack chieftain

Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnev - arctic sailor, Cossack ataman, explorer and discoverer of many geographical objects, born into a Pomeranian family, on Pinega, in 1605. He began his Cossack service as a private in Tobolsk, then he was transferred to Yeniseisk, and even later to Yakutia. Everywhere he explored new lands, rivers, and even crossed the East Siberian Sea on a homemade koch from the mouth of the Indigirka to Alazeya. From there, with his comrades, he set out to the East on two homemade ships.

In the Kolyma delta they went up the river and founded the city of Srednekolymsk. A few years later, the expedition to the east continued - to the Bering Strait, which would not be the Bering Strait for about eighty years: Dezhnev was the first to pass through the Strait. The most eastern point mainland - a cape named after the discoverer Dezhnev. In addition, the island, bay, peninsula and village bear his name. There is a monument to him in the center of the Vologda region. He was a reliable man. Honest and hardworking. Hardy. Strong. Fought. Of the thirteen wounds, three were serious. But he always strived for peace in everything.

Southern mainland

By the seventeenth century, Europeans saw the main outlines of planet Earth. the unexplored areas were vast. The most cunning colonialists sought to explore these territories. Historians have never found out how an ordinary Dutch villager became a sailor, but his travels brought invaluable discoveries to the world.

Aristotle, even before our era, was confident in the existence of an unknown southern land. "Terra Australis incognita" ("Unknown" Southern land"), - he outlined in his notes. It was this land that the navigator Tasman went to look for on sailing ship"Zehaan." In the southern latitudes, nature is inhospitable. Icy wind and almost never sun. The south and southwest send monstrous storms. Such waves do not happen near the mainland, which means that the Southern Land is somewhere not here. And Tasman, on reflection, changed the previously laid course. There was complete uncertainty ahead.

Right choice

After changing course, nature had mercy on the sailors - the clouds remained aside, and the sun quickly warmed the ship. Soon the ground appeared. It so happened that Tasman landed on an island that would be named after him, much south of the mainland. He simply missed Australia itself. Tasmania was surveyed and mapped. Then there will be a city here. And at that time there was nothing more to do there - the climate was unpleasant, the rocks were gloomy, the nature was wild, the local population had nothing to offer.

Tasman moved on. He was incredibly lucky to discover the islands. Next was New Zealand. True, the local Maori greeted Tasman, like all subsequent travelers, unfriendly. Rather, even hostile. While attempting to explore the new land, several crew members were killed. Therefore, Tasman left this work to his descendants, and “Zehaan” immediately went home. He did not find a shortcut to Chile. But he proved that Australia exists.

 

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