Portuguese Explorers Survey Africa

Driven by a desire to find an overseas route to India, Prince Henry The Navigator who was the son of King John I of Portugal worked tirelessly to advance the exploration efforts of his father’s kingdom.

Prince Henry brought together mapmakers, astronomers, and mathematicians to study star charts, and to help improve methods of ocean navigation. He also funded a number of important expeditions into the Atlantic Ocean, and down the west coast of Africa.

By the late 1400s A.D. Explorers from Portugal had discovered new islands, rivers, trading posts, and even a way to travel from Portugal to India over water.