da Gama

Sailed to India

Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who in 1498 became the first European to reach India by sea, sailing around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

This voyage established a maritime trade route that shaped European colonialism for centuries.

The name appears in geographical references and historical discussions of the Age of Exploration.

Related

VascoNavigator's given name
explorerOne who investigates unfamiliar regions
PortugalIberian Peninsula republic
LisbonPortugal's largest city
navigatorRoute-directing crew member

Age of Discovery · voyage · sailing ships · spices · India · route · caravel · sail · sea route · Cape of Good Hope · ocean · Indian Ocean · trade winds · Atlantic · Indian · discovery · New World · trade

Opposites

exploration direction/route

da GamaChristopher Columbus

Navigator who found the Americas

Amerigo Vespucci · John Cabot · Leif Erikson · Jacques Cartier · Ferdinand Magellan

method of expansion (explorer vs. conquistador)

da GamaHernán Cortés

Conquistador · conquistador · conqueror

perspective (colonizer vs. colonized)

da Gamaindigenous resistance

First peoples opposing colonization

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G