Message about the discovery of South America. Discoveries of South American explorers

29.09.2019

The first Europeans to visit in the 16th and 17th centuries. in South America, there were adventurers and missionaries. In the 18th century They were followed by scientists who sought to map the continent and study its geology, as well as flora and fauna. The first scientific expedition set off in 1735 to Peru.

Alexander von Humboldt

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) - one of the greatest scientists and travelers (in the picture on the left), a brilliant naturalist, astronomer, biologist, geologist, and excellent linguist. In June 1797, Humboldt left Berlin for Paris. In June 1799, he and the French physician Amy Bonpland (1773-1858, pictured on the right) sailed from Europe to South America. The following month they reached the northeastern coast of the continent near Caracas, in what is now Venezuela. One of the first plans of the expedition was to study the river. Orinoco. But on the way to it, travelers had to cross dry, dusty, waterless steppes - llanos, stretching to the south. Along the way, the explorers kept records of all the species of plants, animals and birds they encountered - even in the deserts, where they were tormented by thirst and scorched by the scorching rays of the sun. Travelers descended fast rivers and made their way through stuffy jungles, in which the silence was broken only by the cries of parrots and monkeys, and people were tormented by clouds of blood-sucking insects.

Through the mountains to the South

Humboldt and Bonpland's second journey through South America began in 1801. In January 1802, the travelers reached Quito, one of the highest cities in the world, after a tedious journey along rivers and mountains. Near Quito they rose to a height of 5878 m and almost reached the top of the Chimborazo volcano. Then the travelers headed south through virgin forests and spurs of the Andes and finally arrived in Lima (Peru). Here they studied the ruins of structures created by civilization (their culture reached its peak in Peru after the 13th century and was wiped off the face of the earth by the Spanish conquistadors in the 30s of the 16th century, see article “”). Humboldt also mapped a powerful cold current running along the coast of Peru that brought rich schools of fish. Subsequently, this current received the name Humboldt, and now it is called the Peruvian Current.

Back to Europe

When the scientists returned to France in 1804, they were greeted by huge crowds of people. In total, they traveled 64 thousand km across South America and collected 30 boxes of samples, as well as 60 thousand plant species, many of which were previously unknown. Humboldt returned to Germany and devoted 23 years of his life to preparing for the publication of his own works, which amounted to 29 volumes.

Charles Darwin (1809-1892) - English naturalist and traveler. In December 1831, he set off on the Beagle ship on an expedition to the shores of Chile. Darwin described in detail everything he saw, and although the ship was cramped, he collected a huge collection of minerals, fossilized spines, plants, animals, birds and shells. Everything that the scientist saw on the expedition forced him to reconsider his usual views on the origin and development of life on Earth.

Land of the Giants

In the spring of 1832, the expedition arrived in Bahia (Brazil). Darwin was amazed by the incredible variety and brightness of the flowers and birds that appeared before his eyes. Then the Beagle headed south, to the shores of Patagonia. There, researchers found fossils of some extinct animals, including the giant sloth and armadillo. The ship then sailed along the windy and cold shores of Terra del Fuego near the southern tip South America. Darwin traveled through the Argentine steppes - the pampas, and lived among the gauchos (cowboys).

lost World

In September 1835, the expedition reached the Galapagos Islands, located 965 km from the coast of Ecuador in. Here Darwin discovered species of birds, animals and plants that were not found anywhere else on Earth. Cut off from the mainland, they found themselves isolated from the rest of the world. These finds played an important role in Darwin’s creation of the theory about the origin of animals and humans (more about this in the article ““).

Doubts about the reliability of the Bible

In October 1836, the Beagle returned to England, and Darwin devoted 20 years to describing his discoveries. In 1859, he published the work “The Origin of Species,” where he outlined his theory of evolution, which refuted the teachings of the church. One of the boldest was Darwin's assertion that all living things evolved over millions of years. This caused a scandal, as it contradicted what was said in the Bible, that God created the world in six days and since then it has not changed.

Percy Fawcett

Percy Fawcett (1867-1925) - officer with twenty years' experience in South America. He was inspired by the legend of El Dorado, the "golden man", and believed that somewhere deep in the Brazilian jungle there were remnants of ancient civilization. In 1921, near Salvador (Bahia), Fawcett discovered ancient ruins. This gave him the idea to test his theory and find one of the lost cities, which he called the city "Z" (zet).

Unsolved mystery

On April 20, 1925, Fawcett went on a trip with his eldest son Jack and his school friend Raleigh Rimall. Along rivers infested with piranhas, they sailed to Brazil, to Mato Grossa. There their traces were lost forever. For several years, various rumors came from the jungle about what had happened to them. It is possible that Fawcett and his companions fell at the hands of the Indians, but there is no evidence of this version. Their disappearance remains as much of a mystery as mysterious city"Z" Fawcett.

Discovery of South America

In the history of geography, the 15th century is usually considered as a transition from the late Middle Ages to the era of the Great geographical discoveries.

There was a continuous outflow of gold from Western Europe to the East, because Europeans bought there much more than they sold. Moreover, trade in spices and other oriental goods had to be carried out through the mediation of Arabs, which aggravated the high cost of these goods. In the middle of the 15th century, a new obstacle arose in the development of economic relations between Western Europe and the countries of the East - Turkish conquests. In 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople, and by the end of the 15th century, practically all the trade routes of Eastern Middle-earth were in their hands.

In the 70s and 80s of the 15th century, several expeditions were equipped in Portugal to search for the legendary islands of the Atlantic Ocean, but there is almost no information about these expeditions.

Random travel photos

These voyages were the source of rumors, which subsequently gave rise to some researchers to dispute the priority of Columbus* in the discovery of America. In the 16th century There were rumors about the discovery of certain “golden” and “silver” islands by the Portuguese. Such legends served as the basis for some Portuguese historians to claim that their compatriots discovered Brazil back in 1447 and almost in 1342.

Ferdinand Magellan*** circumnavigated the world. His ships left Seville on August 10, 1519; in November of the following year, Magellan passed the strait that now bears his name, and after a four-month voyage across the Pacific Ocean reached the Philippine Islands.

Attempts to refute Columbus's priority are met with many justified objections. However, it is possible that some 15th century navigator. could have accidentally reached the shores of America before Columbus, but it would hardly be correct to consider such an event as its discovery, for it did not play any historical role, it did not influence the geographical ideas of mankind, not to mention the colossal economic and political consequences that which led to the voyages of Columbus.

It was his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 that is considered to be the beginning of the era of great geographical discoveries. The result of this voyage was the discovery of the islands of the Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti (Hispaniola). Columbus's second expedition (1493 - 1496) led to the discovery of some islands from the Lesser Antilles group, Puerto Rico and Jamaica; in addition, the southern coast of Cuba (which Columbus mistook for part of the mainland) was explored. During the third voyage (1498), the northern coast of the South American mainland with the mouth of the Orinoco and the island of Trinidad was discovered. finally, Columbus's last expedition (1502 - 1504) resulted in a survey of the coast of the mainland from Honduras to Darien Bay.

In 1499 - 1500, with the participation of wealthy Spanish shipowners, the Pinson brothers and a representative of the Florentine trading house in Seville, Amerigo Vespucci** (see below), four expeditions were sent to the northern shores of South America. One of them, under the command of Vicente Pinzon, explored the coast for 700 - 800 miles - to Cape St. Augustine (S. Rock) - and discovered the mouth of the Amazon. In 1501 - 1505 the Spaniards continued to sail off the South American coast.

In 1500, the Portuguese Pedro Alvares Cabral, heading to India, was thrown by a storm to the shores of Brazil, which he named the island of Santa Cruz. In 1508, the Spaniards Juan Diaz de Solis and Vicente Pinzon discovered the shores of Yucatan and proved that Cuba was an island, and the next year they walked along the coast of South America south to 40 degrees. S in 1515 - 1516 Solis discovered La Plata, mistaking it for the desired passage.

Amerigo Vespucci, sailing off the coast of South America, initially hoped to find Malacca and Cattigara there, but in 1503, in a letter to Lorenzo Medici, he expressed the opinion that the countries he visited should be considered the New World. This statement by Vespuccip was published on different languages. The Lorraine geographer from San Dié Martin Waldseemüller, also known by the Latin name Hylacomylus (1470 - 1527), in 1507 proposed to call New World America. But for a long time this name was not generally accepted, and if it was used, it was only in relation to Brazil (which was often also called the Land of Santa Cruz).

The voyages of the Spaniards off the coast of South America (1500 - 1501) showed that in tropical latitudes high mountains covered with snow. Pedro Mártir de Anghiera tried to explain this phenomenon, as well as some other natural scientific facts contained in the reports of the conquistadors. Thus, the growth of powerful trees that captured the imagination of the first explorers of South America, this scientist pointed out that since the latter are stony, more gold can be expected there, but for the same reason they are less fertile and less suitable for settlement.

Voyages across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans gave an idea of the zones of calms, trade winds and westerly winds; Columbus discovered the equatorial current in the Atlantic, and Ponce de Leon (in 1523) discovered the Gulf Stream; Pedro Martyr gave a diagram of the currents of the Atlantic Ocean. Since the time of Columbus's expeditions, magnetic declination has become known.

Columbus's voyages

August 3, 1492 Three ships set sail from the port of Palos: Santa Maria, Pinta and Niña with 90 participants. The ships' crews were mostly convicted criminals. After the repair of the ship “Pinta” near the Canary Islands, weary days dragged on. 33 days passed after the ships left the Canary Islands, and still there was no land. Soon signs of the proximity of land appeared: the color of the water changed, flocks of birds appeared. The ships entered the Sargasso Sea. Soon beyond this sea, on October 12, the lookout saw a strip of land. It was a small island with lush tropical vegetation, which Columbus named San Salvodor and declared the possession of Spain. Columbus was confident that he had reached Asia.

Columbus left several people on the island of Hispaniola, led by his brother, and sailed to Spain, taking several Indians, feathers of unprecedented birds and several plants as proof. On March 15, 1493, he was greeted in triumph as a hero in Palos.

Having immediately equipped a new expedition, Columbus set off from the city of Cadiz on a second voyage, which lasted from 1493 to 1496. Many new lands were discovered in the chain of the Antilles (Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua), the islands of Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the southern coasts were explored Cuba, Hispaniola. But this time, Columbus did not reach the Mainland. The ships returned to Spain with rich booty.

Columbus's third voyage took place in 1498-1500. on six ships. He sailed from the city of San Lucar. A heavy blow awaited Columbus on the island of Hispaniola. The treacherous rulers of Spain, fearing that Columbus might become the ruler of the lands he had discovered, sent a ship after him with orders to arrest him. Columbus was shackled and brought to Spain. Columbus spent almost two years trying to prove his innocence. In 1502, he again set out on his voyage to the west. This time, Columbus visited many of the islands he discovered, crossed the Caribbean Sea from the southern coast of Cuba and reached the coast of South America. Columbus returned from his fourth voyage in 1504, his glory having faded. In 1506, Columbus died in one of the small monasteries.

Amerigo Vespucci

At the very beginning of the 16th century, a native of Italy, merchant Amerigo Vespucci, took part in one of the voyages to the shores of the West Indies. Having visited the coast of South America, he came to the conclusion that the land that Columbus discovered was not Asia, but an unknown vast land, the New World. He reported his guess in two letters to Italy. Word of this spread quickly. In 1506, a geographical atlas with a map of the northern part of South America was published in France. The mapmaker called this part of the New World the land of Amerigo. Cartographers of subsequent years extended this name to Central and North America. Thus, the name Amerigo Vispucci was assigned to an entire part of the world and illegally perpetuated by cartographers.

Magellan

(real name Magalhães) was born in Portugal around 1480. A poor Portuguese nobleman fought in North Africa where he was wounded. Returning to his homeland, he asked the king for a promotion, but was refused. Insulted, Magellan left for Spain, where he concluded an agreement under which Charles I equipped 5 ships with supplies for 2 years. Magellan became the sole leader of the expedition.

On September 20, 1519, the flotilla left the port of San Lucar at the mouth of the Guadalquivir. On September 26, the flotilla approached the Canary Islands, on November 26 it reached the coast of Brazil near 8 S latitude, on December 13 - Guanabara Bay, and on December 26 - La Plata.

Very tall Indians approached the wintering site. They were called Patagonians (in Spanish “patagon” means big-footed). Since then, their country has been called Patagonia.

September 21, 1520 beyond 52 S. a bay or against leading to the west was found after Magellan discovered the Atlantic coast of South America. Magellan walked south for several days through narrow straits until he saw 2 channels near the island. Dawson: one to the southeast, the other to the southwest. Magellan sent one sailor to the southeast, another to the southwest. The sailors returned 3 days later with the news that they had seen the cape and the open sea. The admiral shed tears and with joy called this cape “Desired”.

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Exploring South America

South America, the southern continent of the Western Hemisphere, between the Pacific Ocean. in the west and the Atlantic approx. in the east, the Caribbean Sea in the north and the Strait of Magellan. in the south, from 12° 28" N to 53° 55" S. w. Connected by the Isthmus of Panama to the North. America. Square with islands [arch. Tierra del Fuego, Chilean, Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, Galapagos, etc.] 18.28 million km 2. The greatest length is 7150 km, width 5100 km. The relief is distinguished by the powerful mountain belt of the Andes (Aconcagua, 6960 m) in the north and west and the platform, flat-platform east. The uplifts of the platform correspond to the Guiana plateau (Neblina town, 3014 m) in the northeast and the Brazilian plateau (Bandeira town, 2890 m) in the east, separated by a trough occupied by the Amazonian lowland (Amazonia). In the marginal and foothill troughs between the plateaus and the Andes there are plains and lowlands: the Orinoco and Interior Plains (Pantanal, Gran Chaco, Mesopotamia and Pampa); to the south of it, in the southeast, the Patagonian plateau rises to 2200 m. On the plateaus there are large deposits of iron and manganese ores, bauxite, non-ferrous and rare metals; oil and gas in the foothills and intermountain troughs of the Andes; in the mountains there are deposits of copper ores, polymetals, tin, etc.

Climate mostly subequatorial and tropical, in the Amazon it is equatorial, constantly humid, in the south it is subtropical and temperate. The entire northern lowland part of South America to the southern tropics has average monthly temperatures of 20-28 ° C. In summer (in January) they drop south to 10 ° C, in winter (in July) on the Brazilian plateau to 12 ° C, in Pampa to 6 ° C, on the Patagonian plateau up to 1 ° C and below. Largest quantity The windward slopes of the Andes in Colombia and South receive precipitation per year. Chile (5-10 thousand mm), Western. The Amazon and adjacent slopes of the Andes, the eastern slopes of the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus (2-3 thousand mm), in the rest of the east up to 35 ° S. w. 1-2 thousand mm falls per year. Arid (150-200 mm or less) areas west of Pampa, Patagonia, south Central. The Andes and especially the Pacific slope between 5-27°S. w. Most of the rivers belong to the Atlantic basin; the largest are the Amazon, Parana with Paraguay, and Orinoco. The rivers of the plateaus are rapids and, as in the Andes, rich in hydroelectric power. In the lowlands, large rivers are navigable. IN soil cover in the hot zone, lateritic (ferrallitic and ferritic) red soil types predominate, in the subtropics they are reddish-black and gray-brown, in temperate latitudes they are brown (forested in the west and semi-desert in the east). The Amazon, the eastern slopes of the plateaus and the Andes (up to 18° S) are covered with evergreen moist equatorial and tropical forests with valuable species of trees (rubber hevea, mahogany, cocoa, cinchona, etc.), on the remaining plains and plateaus there are savannahs and woodlands; in the subtropics prairies, steppes and semi-deserts, in the temperate zone in the west evergreens mixed forests with an admixture of deciduous, in the east there are shrubby semi-deserts. Very rich and unique fauna of the South. America belongs to the neotropical region of Neogea and is distinguished by a large number of endemics: sloths, anteaters, armadillos, broad-nosed monkeys, puma, jaguar, peccaries, nutria, Guinea pigs etc. Birds include rheas, hoatzins, toucans, etc. The fauna of reptiles, fish and insects is diverse. On the territory of South. The states of America are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador, as well as the French possession of Guiana; to the South America includes the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands.

Relief. The relief of South America clearly distinguishes the flat-platform platform extra-Andean East and the mountainous Andean West, corresponding to the mobile orogenic belt. The uplifts of the South American platform are represented by the Guiana, Brazilian and Patagonian plateaus, the troughs - by the lowlands and plains of the Llanos-Orinoco, Amazon, Beni-Mamore, Gran Chaco, Mesopotamia (Parana and Uruguay rivers) and Pampa; from the east. The plateaus are framed by narrow intermittent strips of coastal plains.

The Guiana Plateau rises towards the center (Mt. Neblina, 3014 m), the Brazilian - from the north-west. to the south-east (city of Bandeira, 2890 m), Patagonian - from east to west (up to 2200 m). The relief of the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus is dominated by basement gently undulating plains (up to 1500-1700 m high), within which there are remnant cone-shaped peaks and ridges (for example, Serra do Espinhaço) or table, mostly sandstone, hills - the so-called chapadas (Auyan-Tepui and Roraima, etc.). The eastern edge of the Brazilian Plateau is divided into separate massifs (Serra da Mantiqueira, etc.), which have the characteristic shapes of “sugar loaves” (for example, Pan de Azucar in Rio de Janeiro). The troughs and depressions of the Brazilian Plateau in the relief are expressed as monoclinal-layered plains with raised edges-cuestas, accumulative plains (the depression of the São Francisco River, etc.) or a lava plateau (in the middle reaches of the Paraná). The relief of Patagonia is dominated by layered, including volcanic, stepped plateaus, covered by ancient moraine and fluvio-glacial deposits; the plateaus are cut by deep canyons of rivers emerging in the Andes; arid forms of denudation are characteristic.

The Andes ridge system extends over 9,000 km to the north and west of the continent. In the north and northeast, in Venezuela, there are two chains of the Caribbean Andes, deeply dissected by faults and river erosion. The main, meridional system of the Andes, or Andean Cordillera (Cordillera de los Andes), reaching 6960 m (Aconcagua), rises in the west of SA. and is divided into Northern, Central and Southern Andes. The northern Andes (up to 5° S) are distinguished by the alternation of high folded-block ridges and deep depressions. In Ecuador, they consist of the Eastern and Western Cordilleras, the depression between which is filled with the products of the activity of the volcanoes Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, etc. In Colombia, there are three main Cordilleras (Eastern, Central and Western), separated by depressions of the river. Magdalena and Cauca. Volcanoes (Hila, Ruiz, Purase, etc.) are concentrated mainly in the Central and Southern Western Cordilleras; For the central part of the Eastern Cordillera, ancient lake plateaus are typical, with an altitude of 2-3 thousand m. In the north and west lie the largest lowlands in the Andean west - the Caribbean and Pacific.

The Central Andes (up to 27-28° S) are much wider and more monolithic than the Northern Andes. They are characterized by internal plateaus raised to 3.8-4.8 thousand m, bordered by marginal ridges; the highest mountains bear significant glaciation. The southern part is the Central Andian Highlands - the widest (up to 750 km) section of the Andes; its main element is the Puna plateau with the ancient lake plateau of the Altiplano in the southwest and a number of blocky ridges in the east and south. In the east, Puna is framed by the Cordillera Real, with the volcanic Western Cordillera in the west (the 2nd volcanic region of the Andes with the volcanoes Misti, Llullaillaco, Sajama, and others), a longitudinal tectonic depression (with the Atacama Desert) and the Coastal Cordillera.

In the Southern Andes in the north (up to 41°30" S) the relief is expressed by: the double Main Cordillera (the city of Aconcagua in the eastern, or Front), to which the Precordillera massifs are attached to the east; the Longitudinal Valley of Chile and the Coastal Cordillera. Between 33-52° S there is another volcanic region of the Andes with a large number of active volcanoes to the west of the Main Cordillera and extinct - to the east of it. In the southernmost segment of the Andes - the Patagonian Andes - the Coastal Cordillera turns into an archipelago of islands, the Longitudinal Valley into a system of straits, and the flooded troughs of the sharply declining Patagonian Cordillera into fjords. Glacial forms dominate. Modern glaciation in Yu.A. occupies an area of 25 thousand km 2, of which over 21 thousand km 2 are in the Southern Andes. There are also glaciers in the Western Cordillera, between 9 and 11° S. w. and on the islands of Tierra del Fuego.

Opening. Europeans became reliably aware of the existence of South America after the voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1498, who discovered the islands of Trinidad and Margarita and explored the coastline from the Orinoco River delta to the Paria Peninsula.

In 1499-1504, Amerigo Vespucci made three voyages to the South American continent at the head of Portuguese expeditions, discovering the northern coast of South America, the Amazon delta, Rio de Janeiro Bay, and the Brazilian Highlands.

Research. As a result of voyages along the northern and eastern shores the newly discovered land of UA. Vespucci had the correct idea of it as the southern trans-Atlantic continent, and in 1503, in a letter to his homeland, he proposed to call it continent of the New World. In 1507, the Lorraine cartographer Martin Waldseemuller attributed the discovery of the "fourth part of the world" made by Columbus to A. Vespucci “christened” this continent America in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. In 1538, this already recognized name was extended to Mercator's map and to North America.

Vespucci's first voyage

In 1499-1500, Vespucci was a navigator on Alonso Ojeda's expedition (on three ships), commanding two ships equipped at his own expense. In the summer of 1499, the flotilla approached the northern coast of South America at 5° or 6° north latitude, where it split up. Vespucci moved to the southeast, on July 2 he discovered the Amazon delta and its mouth branch, Para, and penetrated 100 km up in boats. Then he continued sailing southeast to San Marcos Bay (44° west longitude), identified about 1200 km of the northern coastal strip of South America, and discovered the Guiana Current. From there Vespucci turned back and in August caught up with Alonso Ojeda near 66° west longitude. Following west together, they discovered more than 1,600 km of the southern coast of the mainland with the Paraguana and Guajira peninsulas, the Triste and Venezuelan bays, the Maracaibo lagoon and several islands, including Curacao. In the autumn, Vespucci again separated from Ojeda, explored the coast of South America 300 km to the southwest and returned to Spain in June 1500.

Second voyage

In 1501-02, Vespucci was in the Portuguese service as an astronomer, navigator and historiographer in the 1st Portuguese expedition of Gonçalo Cuelho on 3 ships. In mid-August 1501, they approached the Atlantic coast of South America at 5° 30" south latitude and traveled to 16°, repeating the discoveries of the Spaniard Bortolome Roldan (1500). On January 1, 1502, the expedition discovered the bay of Rio de Janeiro (Guanabara), traced the coast 2000 km to the southwest (up to 25° south latitude) and, making sure that the earth still stretched in the same direction, turned back. One caravel arrived in Portugal at the end of June, the other with Cuella and Vespucci at the beginning of September (. the third, which had fallen into disrepair, had to be burned).

Third voyage

In 1503-04, Vespucci commanded a caravel in the 2nd expedition of Gonçalo Cuella with six ships. At the beginning of August 1503, near the island of Ascension (8° south latitude) they discovered, one ship sank and 3 were missing. The caravels Vespucci and Quelho reached the bay of All Saints, discovered in a previous voyage at 13°. The detachment that landed on the orders of Vespucci first climbed the steep ledge of the Brazilian Highlands and penetrated 250 km into the interior of the country. In the harbor at 23° south latitude, during a 5-month stay, the Portuguese built a fleet, where they left 24 sailors, and returned to Lisbon with a cargo of sandalwood at the end of June 1504.

As a result of voyages along the northern and eastern shores of the newly discovered land, Vespucci developed the correct idea of it as a southern trans-Atlantic continent, and in 1503, in a letter to his homeland, he proposed calling the continent the New World. In 1507, the Lorraine cartographer Martin Waldseemuller attributed the discovery of the “fourth part of the world” made by Columbus to Vespucci and “christened” this continent America in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. In 1538 this already recognized name was extended to Mercator's map and to North America. In 1505, after moving to Spain for the second time, Vespucci received Castilian citizenship. In 1508 he was appointed to the newly created position of chief pilot of Spain and held it until his death.

The Pacific coast of South America was discovered in 1522-58 by Spanish naval expeditions. In 1522 P. Andagoya traced the northwestern coast of South America. up to 4° N. w. In 1526-27 F. Pizarro explored the coast to 8° south. sh., opening the Gulf of Guayaquil on the way, from where he began the conquest of Peru in 1532. After the conquest of the country and the founding of the city of Lima (1535), Spanish sailors became familiar with the coast at least to 12° south. sh., and after campaigns in Chile D. Almagro (1535-37) and P. Valdivia (1540-52) - up to 40° south. w. In 1558, J. Ladrillero discovered between 44 and 47° south. w. the Chonos archipelago and the Taytao Peninsula, and P. Sarmiento de Gamboa in 1579-80 - a series of islands between 47 and 52° S. w. In 1616, the Dutch J. Lemer and V. Schouten discovered and rounded Cape Horn (56° S). In 1592, the Englishman J. Davis discovered in the Atlantic Ocean at 52° south. w. “The Land of the Maiden,” R. Hawkins described its northern shores in 1594, taking it as a single landmass, and J. Strong proved that it is divided into two large and many small islands, and called them the Falkland Islands (1690).

In the 15-16th centuries. The greatest contribution to the exploration of the continent was made by the Spanish expeditions of the conquistadors (from the Spanish qoncuista - conquest).

In search of the “golden country - Eldorado”, the Spaniards D. Ordaz, P. Heredia, G. Quesada, S. Belalcazar and agents of the German bankers Welser and Ehinger (A. Ehinger, N. Federman, G. Hoermuth, F. Hutten), who received in 1528 from Charles V a patent for the colonization of the southern coast Caribbean Sea, in 1529-46 they discovered and crossed in all directions the Northwestern Andes and Llanos Orinsco, and followed the course of all the large left tributaries of the Orinoco and Magdalena with Cauca. G. Pizarro in 1541-42 went down the river. Napo to the Amazonian lowland, and F. Orellana, who separated from his detachment, in 1541 went down the Amazon to the sea, making the first crossing of South America. In search of silver in the La Plata basin in 1527-48, S. Cabot, P. Mendoza, J. Ayolas, A. Cavesa de Vaca, D. Irala discovered and explored several large rivers system Paraná - Paraguay and crossed the Gran Chaco. The lower reaches of the river's tributaries The Amazon was discovered by the Portuguese expedition of P. Teixeira - B. Acosta 1637-39, which rose from the city of Para to the Equatorial Andes and returned down the river. In the 2nd half of the 16th and in the 17th-18th centuries. Portuguese mestizos (Mamilucas), uniting in detachments to hunt Indian slaves, search for gold and precious stones, crossed the Brazilian plateau in all directions and traced the course of all the great tributaries of the middle and lower Amazon. Upper Amazon system in the 17th century. and in the 1st half of the 18th century. Researched mainly by Jesuit missionaries, including the Czech P.S. Fritz.

In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan explored the Patagonian coast, then went to the Pacific Ocean through the strait later named after him, completing his study of the Atlantic coast.

In 1522-58. Spanish conquistadors explored the Pacific coast of South America. Francisco Pissaro walked along the shores of the Pacific Ocean to 8 S. sh., in 1531-33. he conquered Peru, plundering and destroying the Inca state and founding the City of Kings (later called Lima). Later in 1524-52. Spanish conquistadors organized expeditions along the western coast of South America, conquered Peru and Chile, and waged a fierce struggle against the Araucanians. descended along the coast to 40 S. w.

Extreme southern point The continent of Cape Horn was discovered by Dutch navigators Le Maire Jacob (1585-1616), a Dutch merchant and navigator.

In the 16th-18th centuries. detachments of Portuguese mestizo-Mamiluks, who carried out campaigns of conquest in search of gold and jewelry, repeatedly crossed the Brazilian plateau and traced the course of many tributaries of the Amazon.

Jesuit missionaries also took part in the study of these areas.

Alexander Humboldt explored the Orinoco River basin, the Quito plateau, visited the city of Lima, presenting the results of his research in the book Travel to the Equinox Regions of the New World in 1799-1804.

In 1799-1804, Humboldt, together with the French botanist E. Bonpland, traveled through Central and South America. Returning to Europe with rich collections, he processed them in Paris for more than 20 years together with other prominent scientists. In 1807-34, the 30-volume “Travel to the Equinox Regions of the New World in 1799-1804” was published, most of which consists of descriptions of plants (16 volumes), astronomical, geodetic and cartographic materials (5 volumes), the other part - zoology and comparative anatomy, description of the journey, etc. Based on the materials of the expedition, G. published a number of other works, including “Pictures of Nature”

The first scientists to explore South America were the French participants in the Equatorial Expedition to measure the meridian arc of 1736-43 (leaders C. Condamine and P. Bouguer). At the end of the colonial period, comprehensive Scientific research the La Plata basin (Spaniard F. Asara) and the river basin. Orinoco (German A. Humboldt and Frenchman E. Bonpland). The exact outlines of South America were established mainly by an English expedition in the 2nd quarter of the 19th century. (F. King and R. Fitzroy).

The English hydrographer and meteorologist Robert Fitzroy (1805-1865), vice admiral in 1828-30, carried out surveys south coast South America.

In the 19th-20th centuries. exploration of the Brazilian plateau and the Amazonian lowland intensified [German W. Eschwege (1811-1814), Frenchman E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1816-22), participants in the Austro-Bavarian expedition of 1817-20 K. Martius, I. Spix, I. Paul , I. Natterer; participants of the Russian complex academic expedition 1822-28 G.I. Laigsdorff; French complex expedition F. Castelnau (1844-45), British A. Wallace (1848-52), G. Bates (1848-58), W. Chandless (1860-69), J. Wells (1868-84), German K. Steinen (1884 and 1887-88) and the Frenchman A. Coudreau (1895-98)].

The Guiana Plateau and the Orinoco basin were studied: in 1835-44 by Germans in English service, brothers Robert and Richard Schomburgk: in 1860-72 by Pole in English service K. Appun; in 1877-89 the French J. Crevo, A. Coudreau and J. Chaffangeon, who discovered the source of the river. Orinoco (1887). Bass. La Plata was studied by the American hydrographer T. Page (1853-56) and the Argentine topographer L. Fontana (1875-81).

The following people worked in the Northern and Equatorial Andes: the Frenchman J. Boussingault (1822-1828); German geologists A. Stübel and W. Reis (1868-74); English topographer F. Simone (1878-80 and 1884); German geographers A. Getner (1882-84) and V. Sivere, who studied mainly the ridges of the Sierra de Perija, Cordillera Merida (1884-86) and the Maritime Caribbean Andes (1892-93). The Central Andes were explored by naturalists - the German E. Pöppig (1829-31) and the Frenchman A. Orbigny (1830-33); in 1851-69, the Peruvian Andes and the La Montagna region were studied and photographed by the geographer and topographer, an Italian in the Peruvian service A. Raimondi. The Southern Andes - the Chilean-Argentine Cordillera and the Patagonian Andes - were studied in Chile mainly by Europeans who settled there: the Pole I. Domeyko (1839-44), the Frenchman E. Pissy (1849-75), the German botanist R. Filippi (1853-54) . In Argentina, the English sheep breeder J. Master crossed the entire Patagonia from south to north and began the study of the river basin. Chubut (1869-70) Then came the Argentine topographers F. Moreno (1874-97), C. Moyano (1877-1881), L. Fontana (completed the study of the Chubut river basin in 1886-88).

A large amount of research by Yu.A. performed by Russian scientists and travelers: diplomat and geographer A.S. Ionin (1883-92), explorer of Tierra del Fuego, botanist N.M. Albov (1895-96), ethnographer G.G. Manizer (1914-15), botanist and geographer N.I. Vavilov (1930, 1932-33).

Literature

geographical vespucci america swimming

Lukashova E.N., South America, M., 1958

Essays on the geology of South America. Sat. Art., trans. from English, M., 1959

Magidovich I.P., History of the discovery and exploration of Central and South America, M., 1965

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History of the discovery of South America

Then famous navigator was sure that he was on the territory of Asia, and called the islands Western Indies - West Indies. After that discovery, the navigator made three more sea voyages.

And only in 1498 Columbus visited South America - he landed on the shore located opposite the island of Trinidad. Columbus was sure that he had discovered India.

The real discovery of South America occurred with the help of another navigator - Amerigo Vespucci. This happened at the beginning of the 16th century, when an Italian took part in a journey to the shores of the West Indies.

Then Vespucci realized that his predecessor had discovered not India, but an unknown continent, which was then called the New World. The name came from the name of Vespucci himself - the territory was called the land of Amerigo, which later turned into America.

The proposal to call the continent exactly this way came from the German scientist Waldseemüller. Subsequently, one of the countries in South America was named after Columbus.

History of continental exploration

The significance of the discovery of the continent of South America is still discussed today. Indeed, in those days, the inhabitants of Europe knew nothing about the other part of the world, and Columbus’s bold journey forever changed humanity’s understanding of our planet. This is the biggest geographical discovery.

But after the discovery, a long process of colonization began. After it became known about the discovery of new lands by Columbus, conquerors headed there from Europe who wanted to find incredible treasures, riches and appropriate the lands for themselves. These conquerors were called conquistadors.

But in order to realize their ideas, they needed to exterminate and enslave indigenous people South America. This process was accompanied by constant plunder and devastation of the newly discovered territories.

Simultaneously with the conquest, many geographical studies of new lands took place: maps of the coast were created, long journeys overland.

One of important points The expedition of the scientist Alexander Humboldt is considered in the history of the exploration of South America. The German researcher set himself the goal of studying the nature of the continent and studying its indigenous population.

His works are priceless - he described the nature around him, studied about 12 thousand plants and even created a map of South America, which can be called geological.

He conducted such in-depth research for 20 years that the book he subsequently wrote was called almost the second discovery of America.

This work is of particular scientific importance, since the research of the German scientist is extensive and concerns many geographical factors.

We reached the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries. In the 6th century, a story about the journey of St. Brendan, Irish saint, Atlantic Ocean. According to this legend, he was able to reach the shores of America. Historians note that the journey could have taken place, but there are no reliable facts about its conduct.

The hypothesis of the early discovery of America by the Vikings has been confirmed by many scientists, but these sailors visited only the northern continent.

Also, even before Columbus, Chinese people visited South America. This assumption was made by the English historian Gavin Menzie. In his opinion, in 1421 the expedition under Zeng He reached the shores of the Antilles. This hypothesis is widely debated, but most experts reject Menzie's theory. In particular, many researchers consider maps of the New World, allegedly created by the Chinese in the 15th century, to be a later forgery.

Columbus's expeditions and the further discovery of America by Europeans

Opening of both Southern and North America, began not from the mainland, but from the islands. Columbus's expedition first landed in the Antilles, and then on the islands of Trinidad and Puerto Rico. The discovery of the South American continent occurred during the third expedition of the great navigator - he visited the Paria Peninsula in South America. Thus, the discovery of South America began with modern Venezuela.

In 1498, new sailors flocked to the shores of America. Representatives of Spain and Portugal began to discover new lands in South America. A team led by Alonso de Hojeda landed in what is now French Guiana. Amerigo Vespucci separated from Ojeda's team, and with his sailors reached the mouth of the Amazon. Four years later, this great one reached Novaya Zemlya. From that moment it became clear that this route did not lead to India, as originally thought, and that America was a separate large piece of land.

America received its name from one of its discoverers, Amerigo Vespucci.

In 1500, Pedro Alvarez Cobral began exploring eastern South America, landing in what is now Brazil. In turn, the western coast of South America was explored only in 1520 by an expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan.