Portugal was the first European country to embark on major voyages of exploration during the Age of Exploration, beginning with the expeditions of Prince Henry the Navigator in the 15th century.

The primary motivation for European countries to explore the world during the Age of Exploration was economic gain, as they sought new trade routes to Asia and access to valuable resources such as spices, gold, and silver.

Christopher Columbus is credited with being the first European to discover America in 1492, although there is evidence that other European explorers may have reached the Americas before him.

Ferdinand Magellan is renowned for leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, completing the journey in 1522 after his death during the voyage.

Hernán Cortés led the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico, defeating the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II in 1521.

Vasco da Gama was the first European explorer to reach India by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in 1498, opening up a direct sea route between Europe and Asia.

John Smith was an English explorer and colonist who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Jamestown colony in North America in 1607.

England was the first European country to establish a permanent colony in North America, with the founding of Jamestown in Virginia in 1607.

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was a French explorer who claimed the Mississippi River valley for France in 1682.

England established the first permanent colony in Australia with the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788.

Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese explorer who discovered Brazil in 1500 while on a voyage to India.

The Netherlands established the first permanent colony in South Africa with the founding of Cape Town in 1652.

Francisco Pizarro led the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, defeating the Inca emperor Atahualpa in 1533.

England established the first permanent colony in New Zealand with the founding of Russell in 1840.

Henry Hudson was an English explorer who discovered the Hudson Bay in 1610 while searching for a Northwest Passage to Asia.