| A | B |
|---|
| Vikings | Probably the first Europeans to explore North America |
| astrolabe | Arab invention which allowed sailors to figure out their latitude at sea |
| caravel | A new type of sail which permitted ships to sail against the wind invented by the Portuguese |
| Vasco da Gama | First European(Portuguese) credited with sailing around the continent of Africa |
| Treaty of Tordesillas | Line of Demarcation along about the 45degreeW longitude line proposed by the Pope in 1494 separating Spanish and Portuguese claims in the world |
| Balboa | Spanish explorer who is credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean |
| Ferdinand Magellan | First person credited with sailing completely around the earth, although it was done on two separate voyages. |
| Aztec Empire | Native American empire located in present day Mexico which was conquered by the Spanish leader Cortez |
| Maya Empire | Native American nation formerly located in present day Central America |
| Inca Impire | Native American nation formerly located in present day Peru and Chile |
| Northwest Passage | Waterway through or around North America |
| John Cabot | English explorer searching for a northwest in 1498 |
| Verrazano and Cartier | Italian and French explorers, respectively, who were looking for a northwest passage in 1520' and 30's |
| Frobisher and Hudson | English explorers looking for a northwest passage in the late 1500's and early 1600's |
