What factors helped spur European exploration?
Greed.
Desire for Asian spices and other valuable goods. Legends of gold and precious minerals in the Americas.
what factors helped spur Europeans exploration
The factors that helped spur European exploration are complex and varied. Here are a few key factors:
1. Technological advancements: European nations developed new and improved maritime technologies, such as the astrolabe, compass, and caravel ships, which made long-distance voyages more feasible and less risky.
2. Desire for wealth and resources: European countries sought new trade routes to reach the valuable goods of Asia, such as spices, silk, and precious metals. The desire for wealth and resources played a significant role in motivating exploration.
3. Competition among European powers: European nations, particularly Spain, England, France, and Portugal, were in competition with one another to gain power, wealth, and prestige. Exploration was seen as a way to assert dominance and expand territories.
4. Advances in cartography and navigational knowledge: The development of more accurate maps, new navigational techniques (such as the use of latitude and longitude), and the dissemination of existing knowledge (such as Ptolemy's Geography) encouraged exploration by providing sailors with valuable guidance for their journeys.
5. Curiosity and the thirst for knowledge: Men like Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan were driven by the desire to explore the unknown, to satisfy their curiosity, and to gain knowledge about the world. The Renaissance period also fostered a general spirit of intellectual curiosity, encouraging exploration in various fields, including geography.
To further explore this topic and gain a deeper understanding, one could consult historical sources, books, and articles on European exploration, and specifically study the motivations, technological advancements, and geopolitical rivalries that occurred during this period.