List of explorers
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2008-07-11T16:51:55Z
H2ppyme
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/* B */
This '''list of explorers''' is sorted by surname. See also the links [[#See also|below]].
{{compactTOC2}}
== A ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[António de Abreu]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 16th
| [[Indonesia]]
|-
| [[William Adams (sailor)|William Adams]]
| [[English people|English]] || 17th
| [[Japan]]
|-
| [[Ibn Battuta|Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta]]<ref>[http://www.silk-road.com/artl/srtravelmain.shtml Ancient Silk Road Travellers]</ref><ref>[http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Ibn_Battuta/Battuta's_Trip_Three.html Battuta's Travels: Part Three - Persia and Iraq]</ref>
| [[Morocco|Moroccan]] || 14th
| [[Africa]], [[Central Asia]], [[China]], [[Europe]], [[Indian subcontinent]], [[Middle East|Middle East]], [[Russia]], [[Southeast Asia]]
|-
| [[Charles Albanel]]
| [[French people|French]] || 17th
| [[Canada]]
|-
| [[Afonso de Albuquerque]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[India]]
|-
| [[Ahmad ibn Fadlan]]
| [[Iraq]]i [[Arab]] || 10th
| [[Easterns Europes]], [[Middle East]], [[Russia]], [[Scandinavia]]
|-
| [[Ahmad ibn Rustah]]
| [[Persian people|Persian]] || 10th
| [[Russia]], [[Scandinavia]], [[Arabia]]
|-
| [[Buzz Aldrin|Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin]]
| [[United States|American]] || 20th
| the [[Moon]]
|-
| [[Pêro de Alenquer]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[Africa]]n coast
|-
| [[Benedict Allen]]
| [[British people|British]] || 20th/21st
| various
|-
| [[Diego de Almagro]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[Peru]], [[Chile]]
|-
| [[Francisco de Almeida]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| India
|-
| [[Pedro de Alvarado]]
| Spanish || 16th
| [[Mexico]], [[Guatemala]], [[Honduras]]
|-
| [[Francisco Álvares]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[Ethiopia]]
|-
| [[Jorge Álvares]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[China]]
|-
| [[Roald Amundsen]]
| [[Norwegians|Norwegian]]
| early 20th || [[South Pole]], [[Antarctica]], [[Northwest Passage]]
|-
| [[Fernão Pires de Andrade]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| China
|-
| [[Henryk Arctowski]]
| Polish || 20th
| [[Antarctic]], [[South America]]
|-
| [[Salomon August Andrée]]
| [[Swedish people|Swedish]] || 19th
| [[Arctic]]
|-
| [[Roy Chapman Andrews]]
| American || 20th
| China, [[Mongolia]]
|-
| [[Neil Armstrong]]
| American || 20th
| the Moon
|-
| [[Väinö Auer]]
| [[Finnish people|Finnish]] || 20th
| [[Tierra del Fuego]] and [[Patagonia]]
|-
| [[Diogo de Azambuja]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[West Africa]]n coast
|-
|}
== B ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[George Back]]
| [[British people|British]] || 19th
| [[Canada|Canadian]] [[Arctic]]
|-
| [[William Baffin]]
| British || 17th
| [[Northwest Passage]]
|-
| [[Samuel Baker]]
| British || 19th
| [[Africa]]
|-
| [[Vasco Núñez de Balboa]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[Panama]]
|-
| [[Pêro de Barcelos]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th/16th
| [[North America]]
|-
| [[Willem Barents]]
| [[Dutch people|Dutch]] || 16th
| [[Northeast Passage]], [[Novaya Zemlya]]
|-
| [[Heinrich Barth]]
| [[Germans|German]] || 19th
| Central and northern [[Africa]]
|-
| [[Robert Bartlett]]
| [[Canadians|Canadian]]
| early 20th
| [[Arctic]]
|-
| [[George Bass]]
| [[Australians|Australian]] || 18th
| [[Australia]]
|-
| [[Henry Walter Bates]]
| [[British people|British]] || 19th
| [[Amazonia]]
|-
| [[Nicolas Baudin]]
| [[French people|French]] || 18th
| Australia
|-
| [[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen]]
| [[Baltic Germans|Baltic German]] || 19th
| [[Antarctica]]
|-
| [[Joseph René Bellot]]
| French || 19th
| Arctic
|-
| [[Móric Beňovský]]
| [[Slovaks|Slovak]] || 18th
| northern [[Pacific Ocean]]
|-
| [[Vitus Bering]]
| [[Danes|Danish]] || 18th
| northern Pacific Ocean
|-
| [[Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[Vittorio Bottego]]
| [[Italians|Italian]] || 19th
| [[Somalia]]
|-
| [[Pietro Savorgnan di Brazza|Pierre Savorgan de Brazza]]
| Italian/French || 19th
| [[Republic of the Congo|Congo]]
|-
| [[Brendan|Saint Brendan]]
| [[Irish people|Irish]] || 6th
| [[Atlantic Ocean]]
|-
| [[Jim Bridger]]
| American || 19th
| Western [[United States]]
|-
| [[James Bruce]]
| [[British people|British]] || 18th
| [[Algeria]], the [[Middle East]], [[Egypt]]
|-
| [[William S. Bruce]]
| British || early 20th
| Antarctica
|-
| [[Étienne Brûlé]]
| French || 17th
| [[Canada]]
|-
| [[Lafayette Bunnell]]
| [[United States|American]] || 19th
| [[Yosemite Valley]]
|-
| [[Johann Ludwig Burckhardt]]
| [[Switzerland|Swiss]] || 19th
| [[Middle East]], [[Sudan]]
|-
| [[Richard Francis Burton]]
| British || 19th
| [[East Africa]]
|-
| [[José de Bustamante y Guerra]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Ocean]]
|-
| [[Richard E. Byrd]]
| American || 20th
| [[North Pole]], [[Antarctica]]
|-
|}
== C ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[southwestern United States]], [[Mexico]], [[Argentina]]
|-
| [[John Cabot]]<ref>Giovanni Caboto.</ref>
| [[Italians|Italian]]/[[Engish people|English]] || 15th
| [[North America]]n mainland ([[Canada]])
|-
| [[Pedro Álvares Cabral]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th/16th
| [[Brazil]], [[Madagascar]]
|-
| [[Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo|João Rodrigues Cabrilho]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[California]]
|-
| [[Alvise Cadamosto]]
| Italian || 15th
| [[Cape Verde]] islands
|-
| [[René Caillé]]
| [[French people|French]] || 19th
| [[North Africa]]
|-
| [[Álvaro Caminha]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[São Tomé and Príncipe]] islands
|-
| [[Pêro Vaz de Caminha]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[Brazil]]
|-
| [[Diogo Cão]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| west coast of [[Africa]] (including the [[Congo River]])
|-
| [[Hermenegildo Capelo|Hermenegildo de Brito Capelo]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 19th
| [[Africa|African continent]]
|-
| [[Giovanni da Pian del Carpine|John Carpini]]
| Italian || 13th
| [[Central Asia]]
|-
| [[Juan Carrasco (explorer)|Juan Carrasco]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[Jan Carstenszoon|Jan Carstensz]]
| [[Dutch people|Dutch]] || 17th
| [[New Guinea]] coast, [[Gulf of Carpentaria]]
|-
| [[Jacques Cartier]]
| [[French people|French]] || 16th
| [[St. Lawrence River]]
|-
| [[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle|René-Robert Cavelier]]
| French || 17th
| [[Mississippi embayment]]
|-
| [[Thomas Cavendish]]
| [[British people|British]] || 16th
| [[Virginia]], Pacific coast of [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]]
|-
| [[Samuel de Champlain]]
| French || 16th/17th
| [[Quebec]], [[Great Lakes]]
|-
| [[Jean Chardin]]
| French || 17th
| [[Iran|Persia]], [[India]]
|-
| [[Fletcher Christian]]
| British || 18th
| [[Polynesia]]
|-
| [[Hugh Clapperton]]
| British || early 19th
| [[West Africa|west]] and [[central Africa]]
|-
| [[William Clark (explorer)|William Clark]]
| [[United States|American]] || early 19th
| [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|western United States]]
|-
| [[Gonçalo Coelho]]
| Portuguese || 15th/16th
| South American coast
|-
| [[Nicolau Coelho]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| Brazil
|-
| [[Christopher Columbus]]<ref>Cristoforo Colombo.</ref>
| Italian || 15th/16th
| [[Caribbean]]
|-
| [[George Comer]]
| American || 19th/20th
| [[Arctic]]
|-
| [[Niccolò Da Conti]]
| Italian || early 15th
| [[India]], [[Southeast Asia]]
|-
| [[Frederick Cook]]
| American || 19th/20th
| [[Arctic]]
|-
| [[James Cook]]
| British || 18th
| [[Australasia]], [[Oceania]]
|-
| [[Caramuru|Diogo Álvares Correia]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[Brazil]]
|-
| [[Francisco Vasquez de Coronado]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[New Mexico]]
|-
| [[Gaspar Corte-Real|Gaspar Côrte-Real]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 16th
| [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], [[Greenland]]
|-
| [[João Vaz Corte-Real|João Côrte-Real]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || late 15th
| [[Azores]], [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]]
|-
| [[Miguel Corte-Real|Miguel Côrte-Real]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 16th
| [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], [[Massachusetts]]
|-
| [[Hernán Cortés]]
| Spanish || 16th
| [[Mexico]]
|-
| [[Juan de la Cosa]]
| Spanish || 15th/16th
| [[Caribbean]], [[South America]]
|-
| [[Thomas Coulter]]
| Irish || 19th
| [[Mexico]], [[Alta California]]
|-
| [[Jacques-Yves Cousteau]]
| French || 20th
| the [[deep sea]]
|-
| [[Pêro da Covilhã]]
| Portuguese || 15th/16th
| [[Ethiopia]]
|-
| [[Tristão da Cunha]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[Tristan da Cunha]] islands
|-
|}
== D ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Isaac Davis (Hawaii)|Isaac Davis]]
| British || 18th
| [[Hawaii]]
|-
| [[Pierre-Jean De Smet]]
| Belgian || 19th
| [[North America]]
|-
| [[Francis Drake (circumnavigation|Francis Drake]]
| British || 16th
| [[circumnavigation, Tierra del Fuego, Pacific Northwest]]
|-
|}
== E ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Gil Eanes]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[northwest Africa]]n coast
|-
| [[Juan Sebastián Elcano]]
| [[Spanish people|Spain]] || 16th
| completed [[Ferdinand Magellan]]'s [[circumnavigation]]
|-
| [[Francisco de Eliza]]
| [[Spanish people|Spain]] || 18th
| [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]] and [[Strait of Georgia]]
|-
| [[Erik the Red]]
| [[Viking]] || 10th
| [[Greenland]]
|-
| [[Leif Ericson]]
| Viking || early 11th
| [[Vinland]] ([[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]])
|-
| [[Pedro Escobar]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[São Tomé and Príncipe]] islands
|-
| [[George Everest]]
| [[British people|British]] || 19th
| [[India]]
|-
|}
== F ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Edmund Fanning]]
| [[United States|American]] || 18th/19th
| [[Oceania]]
|-
| [[Ibn Farrukh]]
| [[Al-Andalus|Andalusian]] || 10th
| [[Americas]], [[Atlantic Ocean]], [[Canary islands]]
|-
| [[Ranulph Fiennes|Sir Ranulph Fiennes]]
| British || 20th
| [[Arctic]], [[Antarctica]]
|-
| [[António Fernandes]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[west Africa]]n coast
|-
| [[Baltazar Fernandes]]
| Portuguese || 17th
| [[Brazil]]
|-
| [[Duarte Fernandes]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[Thailand]]
|-
| [[Salvador Fidalgo]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[Matthew Flinders]]
| British || 18th/19th
| [[Australia]], [[Tasmania]]
|-
| [[Alexander Forbes]]
| British || 19th
| [[California]]
|-
| [[John Franklin]]
| British || 19th
| [[Northwest Passage]]
|-
| [[John C. Frémont]]
| American || 19th
| [[Oregon Trail]], [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]]
|-
| [[Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne]]
| [[French people|French]] || 18th
| [[Oceania]]
|-
| [[Louis de Freycinet]]
| French || 19th
| [[western Australia]], [[Oceania]]
|-
| [[Vivian Fuchs]]
| British || 20th
| [[Antarctica]]
|}
== G ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Alfons Gabriel]]
| [[Austrian people|Austrian]] || 20th
| [[Iran]]
|-
| [[Dionisio Alcalá Galiano]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[Yuri Gagarin]]
| [[Russians|Russian]] || 20th
| [[Earth orbit]]
|-
| [[Juan Galindo]]
| mixed || 19th
| [[Mesoamerica]] ([[Maya civilization|Maya]]n remains)
|-
| [[Estevão da Gama]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 16th
| [[Indian Ocean]]
|-
| [[Paulo da Gama]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| sea route from [[Europe]] to [[India]]
|-
| [[Vasco da Gama]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th/16th
| sea route from Europe to India
|-
| [[Gaspar da Gama]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th/16th
| [[Palestine]], [[Egypt]], [[India]], [[Brazil]], [[East Africa]]n coast
|-
| [[Thomas Gann]]
| [[Irish people|Irish]] || 19th/20th
| Mesoamerica (Mayan remains)
|-
| [[Francis Garnier]]
| [[French people|French]] || 19th
| [[Mekong River]]
|-
| [[Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de la Vérendrye|Pierre Gaultier de Varennes]]
| [[French Canadian]] || 18th
| [[North America]]n interior
|-
| [[Romolo Gessi]]
| [[Italians|Italian]] || 19th
| the [[Nile]], [[Sudan]]
|-
| [[Ernest Giles]]
| [[Australians|Australian]] || 19th
| [[central Australia]]
|-
| [[André Gonçalves]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th/16th
| [[Brazil]]
|-
| [[Antão Gonçalves]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[west Africa]]n coast
|-
| [[Lopes Gonçalves]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[Atlantic Ocean]]
|-
| [[James Augustus Grant]]
| [[British people|British]] || 19th
| [[eastern Africa]]
|-
| [[João Grego]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| African coast
|-
| [[Juan de Grijalva]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[Mexico]], [[Nicaragua]]
|-
| [[Gonzalo Guerrero]]
| Spanish || 16th
| [[Yucatán Peninsula]]
|-
|}
== H ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Hanno the Navigator]]
| [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] || [[6th century BCE|6th BCE]]
| [[west Africa]]n coast
|-
| [[Hannu]]
| ancient [[Egyptians|Egyptian]] || ([[circa|c.]]2750 BCE)
| [[eastern Africa]]
|-
| [[Gonzalo López de Haro]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[Dirk Hartog]]
| [[Dutch people|Dutch]] || 17th
| [[western Australia]]n coast
|-
| [[Ahmed Hassanein|Ahmed Pasha Hassanein]]<ref>[http://saharasafaris.org/hassaneinbey Hassanein Bey]</ref>
| [[Egyptians|Egyptian]] || 20th
| [[Jebel Uweinat|Oweinat]] and the [[Sahara]]
|-
| [[Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden]]
| [[United State|American]] || 19th
| [[Rocky Mountains]] and the [[western United States]]
|-
| [[Bruno de Heceta]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[Sven Hedin]]
| [[Swedish people|Swedish]] || 19th/20th
| [[Central Asia]]
|-
| [[Louis Hennepin]]
| [[Belgians|Belgian]]/[[French people|French]] || 17th
| [[North America]]n interior
|-
| [[William Lewis Herndon]]
| American || 19th
| [[Amazonia]]
|-
| [[Bjarni Herjulfsson]]
| [[Viking]] || 10th
| North America
|-
| [[Thor Heyerdahl]]
| [[Norwegians|Norwegian]] || 20th
| [[Anthropology|anthropological]] ocean voyages
|-
| [[Sir Edmund Hillary]]
| New Zealand || 20th
| [[Mount Everest]], [[Antarctica]]
|-
| [[Himilco the Navigator]]
| Carthaginian || 6th BCE
| northwestern coast of [[Europe]]
|-
| [[Clement Hodgkinson]]
| British || 19th
| [[New South Wales]] (Australia)
|-
| [[Emil Holub]]
| [[Czech people|Czech]] || 19th
| [[Africa]]
|-
| [[Hong Bao]]
| Chinese || 15th
| [[South Shetland Islands]], [[South Atlantic]]
|-
| [[Cornelis de Houtman]]
| Dutch || 16th
| sea route from Europe to [[Indonesia]]
|-
| [[Frederick de Houtman]]
| Dutch || 16th/17th
| western Australian coast
|-
| [[William Hovell]]
| British || 19th
| southern New South Wales
|-
| [[Henry Hudson]]
| British || 17th
| [[Northwest Passage]], [[Hudson River]] and [[Hudson Bay]]
|-
| [[Alexander von Humboldt]]
| [[Germans|German]] || 19th
| [[Latin America]], [[Siberia]]
|-
| [[Hamilton Hume]]
| [[Australians|Australian]] || 19th
| Australian interior
|-
| [[James S. Hutchinson]]
| [[United States|American]] || 20th
| [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)]]
|}
== I ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[João Infante]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[Africa]]n coast
|-
| [[Roberto Ivens]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 19th
| [[Africa|African continent]]
|-
| [[Helge Ingstad]]
| [[Norwegians|Norwegian]] || 20th
| [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], [[Greenland]], [[Alaska]]
|}
== J ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Anthony Jenkinson]]
| [[British people|British]] || 16th
| [[Tsardom of Russia|Russia]], [[Iran|Persia]]
|-
|}
== K ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Thorfinn Karlsefni]]
| [[Iceland]]ic || early 11th
| [[Vinland]]
|-
| [[Johann Karl Ehrenfried Kegel]]
| [[Germany|German]] || 19th
| [[Kamchatka Peninsula|Kamchatka]]
|-
| [[George Kennan (explorer)|George Kennan]]
| [[United States|American]] || 19th/20th
| [[Russia]]<ref>[[Kamchatka Peninsula|Kamchatka]], [[Caucasus]], [[Siberia]].</ref>
|-
| [[Edmund Kennedy]]
| [[British people|British]]/[[Australians|Australian]] || 19th
| [[Australia]]n interior
|-
| [[Khashkhash Ibn Saeed Ibn Aswad]]
| [[Al-Andalus|Andalusian]] || 9th
| [[Americas]], [[Atlantic Ocean]]
|-
| [[Ferdinand Konščak]]
| [[Croat]]ian || 18th
| [[Baja California peninsula]]
|-
| [[Pyotr Kozlov]]
| [[Russians|Russian]] || early 20th
| [[Mongolia]], [[Tibet]]
|}
== L ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Richard Lemon Lander]]
| [[Cornish people|British]] || early 19th
| [[west Africa]] ([[Niger River|Niger]] and [[Benue River]]s)
|-
| [[Grigori Ivanovitch Langsdorff]]
| [[Prussian people|Prussian]] || early 19th
| [[Brazil]]
|-
| [[Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse|Jean-François de Galaup]]
| [[French people|French]] || 18th
| [[Pacific Rim]]
|-
| [[Anthony de la Roché]]
| [[British people|British]] || 17th
| [[Antarctica]]
|-
| [[João Fernandes Lavrador]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th/16th
| [[Labrador]]
|-
| [[Joseph N. LeConte]]
| [[United States|American]] || 20th
| [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)]]
|-
| [[Albert von Le Coq]]
| [[Germans|German]] || 19th/20th
| [[central Asia]]
|-
| [[John Ledyard]]
| [[United States|American]] || 18th
| [[Australasia]], [[Oceania]], [[Russia]]
|-
| [[Miguel López de Legazpi]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[Philippines]]
|-
| [[Ludwig Leichhardt]]
| Prussian || 19th
| [[Australia]]n interior
|-
| [[Gaspar de Lemos]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[Brazil]]
|-
| [[Dragutin Lerman]]
| [[Croat]]ian || 19th/20th
| [[Republic of the Congo|Congo]]
|-
| [[Meriwether Lewis]]
| American || 18th/19th
| [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|western United States]]
|-
| [[David Livingstone]]
| British || 19th
| [[Southern Africa|southern]] and [[East Africa|eastern Africa]]
|-
|}
== M ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Alexander Mackenzie (explorer)|Alexander Mackenzie]]
| [[British people|British]] || 18th/19th
| [[Canada]]
|-
| [[Ferdinand Magellan]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th/16th
| [[circumnavigation]]
|-
| [[Alessandro Malaspina]]
| Italian-Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Ocean]]
|-
| [[Teoberto Maler]]
| [[Germans|German]]-[[Italians|Italian]] || 19th
| [[Mesoamerica]] ([[Maya civilization|Maya]]n remains)
|-
| [[George Mallory]]
| British || early 20th
| [[Mount Everest]]
|-
| [[Lancelotto Malocello]]
| Italian || 13th/14th
| [[Lanzarote]] ([[Canary Islands]])
|-
| [[Albert Hastings Markham]]
| British || 19th
| [[Arctic]]
|-
| [[Lourenço Marques]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[Mozambique]]
|-
| [[Álvaro Martins]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], [[Cape of Good Hope]]
|-
| [[Pedro Mascarenhas]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[Indian Ocean]], [[Diego Garcia]]
|-
| [[Nicholai Miklukho-Maklai]]
| [[Russians|Russian]] || 19th
| [[New Guinea]]
|-
| [[John Minor Maury]]
| American || 19th
| [[Darién Gap]]
|-
| [[Douglas Mawson]]
| [[Australians|Australian]] || 20th
| [[Antarctica]]
|-
| [[Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira|Álvaro de Mendaña]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[Pacific Ocean]]
|-
| [[Archibald Menzies]]
| British || 18th/19th
| [[Pacific Ocean]], [[circumnavigation]]
|-
| [[Thomas Mitchell]]
| British || 19th
| [[Australia]]n interior
|-
| [[John Moresby]]
| British || 19th
| [[Papua (Australian territory)|New Guinea]] coast
|-
| [[Francisco Antonio Mourelle]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]] and [[Pacific Ocean]]
|-
| [[Joaquim Augusto Mouzinho de Albuquerque]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 19th
| [[Mozambique]]
|}
== N ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Gustav Nachtigal]]
| [[Germans|German]] || 19th
| [[Africa]]
|-
| [[Fridtjof Nansen]]
| [[Norwegians|Norwegian]] || 19th/20th
| [[Arctic]]
|-
| [[José María Narváez]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[Nehsi]]
| [[ancient Egypt]]ian || [[15th century BCE|15th BCE]]
| [[Land of Punt]]
|-
| [[Jean Nicolet]]
| [[French people|French]] || 17th
| [[Northwest Territory]] ([[United States]])
|-
| [[Joseph Nicollet]]
| French/[[United States|American]] || 19th
| [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] and [[Missouri River]]s
|-
| [[Afanasiy Nikitin]]
| [[Russians|Russian]] || 15th
| [[India]]
|-
| [[António Noli]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[Cape Verde]] islands
|-
| [[Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld]]
| [[Finnish people|Finnish]]/[[Swedish people|Swedish]] || 19th
| Arctic
|-
| [[Tenzing Norgay]]
| [[Nepal]]ese || 20th
| [[Mount Everest]]
|-
| [[Fernão de Noronha]]
| Portuguese || 15th/16th
| [[Atlantic Ocean]]
|-
| [[João da Nova]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| Atlantic and [[Indian Ocean]]s
|-
| [[Paulo Dias de Novais]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[Angola]]
|}
== O ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Sebastián de Ocampo]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || early 16th
| [[Caribbean]], [[Gulf of Mexico]]
|-
| [[Peter Skene Ogden]]
| [[Canadian people|Canadian]] || early 19th
| [[Snake River]] country, [[western United States]]
|-
| [[Juan de Oñate]]
| Spanish || 16th
| [[Southwestern United States|American Southwest]]
|-
| [[Francisco de Orellana]]
| Spanish || 16th
| [[South America]], [[Amazon River]]
|-
| [[John Oxley]]
| [[British people|British]] || early 19th
| [[Australia]]<ref>[[New South Wales]], southeastern [[Queensland]].</ref>
|-
|}
== P ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Mungo Park (explorer)|Mungo Park]]
| [[British people|British]] || 18th/19th
| [[west Africa]] ([[Niger River]])
|-
| [[William Edward Parry|William Parry]]
| British || 19th
| [[Arctic]]
|-
| [[Robert Peary]]
| [[United States|American]] || 19th/20th
| Arctic
|-
| [[Paul Pelliot]]
| [[French people|French]] || 19th/20th
| [[central Asia]]
|-
| [[Duarte Pacheco Pereira]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[Atlantic Ocean]], [[Brazil]]
|-
| [[Bartolomeu Perestrelo]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[Madeira Islands]]
|-
| [[Juan José Pérez Hernández|Juan Pérez]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[Auguste Piccard]]
| [[Swiss people|Swiss]] || 20th
| [[Earth's atmosphere]], the [[deep sea]]
|-
| [[Jacques Piccard]]
| Swiss || 20th
| the deep sea
|-
| [[Zebulon Pike]]
| American || early 19th
| southern [[Louisiana Purchase]] ([[United States]])
|-
| [[Alonso Alvarez de Pineda]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || early 16th
| [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf Coast]]
|-
| [[Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa Pinto|Serpa Pinto]]
| Portuguese || 19th
| [[southern Africa]]
|-
| [[Fernão Mendes Pinto]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[India]], [[Far East]], [[Japan]]
|-
| [[Martin Alonzo Pinzón]]
| Spanish || 15th
| [[Caribbean]]
|-
| [[Vicente Yáñez Pinzón]]
| Spanish || 15th/16th
| Caribbean, [[Brazil]]
|-
| [[Luís Pires]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| abortive voyage to Brazil
|-
| [[Francisco Pizarro]]
| Spanish || 16th
| [[Hispaniola]], [[Panama]], [[Peru]]
|-
| [[Fernão do Pó]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[west Africa]]n coast
|-
| [[Marco Polo]]
| [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] || 13th/14th
| [[China]], [[Mongol Empire]]
|-
| [[Peter Pond]]
| American || 18th/19th
| [[Canada|Canadian]] interior
|-
| [[Gaspar de Portolà]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Alta California|Alta]] and [[Baja California]]
|-
| [[John Wesley Powell]]
| American || 19th
| [[western United States]]
|-
| [[Nathaniel Hale Pryor]]
| American || 19th
| [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|western United States]]
|-
| [[Nikolai Przhevalsky]]
| [[Russians|Russian]] || 19th
| [[central Asia]]
|-
| [[Pytheas]]
| [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] || [[4th century BCE|4th BCE]]
| [[northern Europe]]
|-
|}
== Q ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Manuel Quimper]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[Pedro Fernández de Quirós]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 16th/17th
| [[Oceania]]
|-
|}
== R ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[John Rae (explorer)|John Rae]]
| [[British people|British]] || 19th
| [[Northwest Passage]], [[Canada|Canadian]] [[Arctic]]
|-
| [[Walter Raleigh|Sir Walter Raleigh]]
| [[English people|English]] || 16th/17th
| [[Virginia]], the [[Orinoco]] river
|-
| [[Matteo Ricci]]
| [[Italians|Italian]] || 16th
| [[China]]
|-
| [[Diogo Rodrigues]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 16th
| [[Mascarene Islands]]
|-
| [[Cândido Rondon]]
| [[Brazilians|Brazilian]] || 19th/20th
| [[Brazil]]ian interior ([[Amazon Basin]])
|-
| [[James Clark Ross]]
| [[British people|British]] || 19th
| [[Arctic]], [[Antarctic]]
|-
| [[William of Rubruck]]
| [[Flemish people|Flemish]] || 13th century
| [[Central Asia]]
|-
| [[Henry Russell (explorer)|Henry Russell]]
| [[Irish people|Irish]] || 19th
| [[Pyrenees]]
|-
|}
== S ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Francisco Serrão]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 16th century
| [[Indonesia]]
|-
| [[Sándor Kőrösi Csoma]]
| [[Hungarian people|Hungarian]] || early 19th
| [[Tibet]]
|-
| [[João de Santarém]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[São Tomé and Príncipe]] islands
|-
| [[Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[Solomon Islands]]
|-
| [[Rabban Bar Sauma]]
| [[Turkic people|Turco]]-[[Mongols|Mongol]] || 13th
| [[Europe]], [[Middle East]]
|-
| [[Johann Schiltberger]]
| [[Germans|German]] || 15th
| [[Central Asia]]
|-
| [[Georg August Schweinfurth]]
| [[Germany|German]]/[[Russian Empire|Russian]] || 19th
| East and Central Africa
|-
| [[Robert Falcon Scott]]
| [[British people|British]] || 19th/20th
| [[Antarctica]] ([[South Pole]])
|-
| [[Scylax of Caryanda]]
| [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] || [[6th century BCE|6th BCE]]
| [[Indus River]], [[Indian Ocean]], [[Red Sea]]
|-
| [[Tibor Sekelj]]
| [[Croats|Croat]] || 20th
| [[Argentina]]
|-
| [[Mirko and Stjepan Seljan]]
| Croat || early 20th
| [[Ethiopia]], [[South America]]
|-
| [[Serpa Pinto|Alexandre de Serpa Pinto]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 19th
| [[Africa|African continent]]
|-
| [[Ernest Shackleton]]
| [[British people|British]] || early 20th
| Antarctica
|-
| [[Eric Shipton]]
| British || 20th
| [[Mount Everest]], southern [[Patagonia]]
|-
| [[Tanaka Shōsuke]]
| [[Japanese people|Japanese]] || 17th
| [[Mexico]]
|-
| [[Diogo Silves]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[Azores]]
|-
| [[Pêro de Sintra]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[west Africa]]n coast, [[Sierra Leone]]
|-
| [[William Smith (mariner)|William Smith]]
| British || early 19th
| [[South Shetland Islands]]
|-
| [[J. Dewey Soper]]
| Canadian || 20th
| [[Canadian Arctic]]
|-
| [[Hernando de Soto (explorer)|Hernando de Soto]]
| Spanish || 16th
| [[Central America]], [[southern United States]]
|-
| [[Martim Afonso de Sousa]]
| Portuguese || 16th
| [[Brazil]]ian interior
|-
| [[John Hanning Speke]]
| British || 19th
| [[East Africa|eastern Africa]]
|-
| [[Hans Staden]]
| German || 16th
| [[Brazil]]
|-
| [[William Grant Stairs]]
| [[Canadians|Canadian]] || 19th
| [[central Africa]]
|-
| [[Henry Morton Stanley]]
| British || 19th
| eastern Africa
|-
| [[Marc Aurel Stein]]
| [[Hungarians|Hungarian]]/[[United Kingdom|British]] || 19th/20th
| [[central Asia]]
|-
| [[John Lloyd Stephens]]
| [[United States|American]] || 19th
| [[Middle East]], [[Mesoamerica]] ([[Maya civilization|Maya]]n remains)
|-
| [[Paweł Edmund Strzelecki|Paweł Strzelecki]]<ref>Sir Paul de Strzelecki.</ref>
| [[Poles|Polish]]/British || 19th
| the [[Americas]], [[Australia]] ([[Gippsland]])
|-
| [[John McDouall Stuart]]
| British[[Australians|Australian]] || 19th
| Australian interior
|-
| [[Charles Sturt]]
| British || 19th
| Australian interior
|-
| [[Ignacije Szentmartony]]
| Croat || 18th
| [[Amazon River]]
|-
|}
== T ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Abel Tasman]]
| [[Dutch people|Dutch]] || 17th
| [[Australasia]], including [[Tasmania]]
|-
| [[Jean-Baptiste Tavernier]]
| [[French people|French]] || 17th
| [[Safavid dynasty|Persia]], [[Mughal Empire|India]]
|-
| [[Pedro Teixeira]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 17th
| [[Amazon River]]
|-
| [[Tristão Vaz Teixeira]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[Madeira Islands]]
|-
| [[Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir]]
| [[Iceland]]ic ||| c.11th
| [[North America]]
|-
| [[Harold William Tilman]]
| [[British people|British]]||| 20th
| [[Himalayas]], [[Patagonia]]
|-
| [[Yermak Timofeyevich]]
| [[Russians|Russian]]<ref>[[Cossack]].</ref> || 16th
| [[Siberia]]
|-
| [[Tenjiku Tokubei]]
| [[Japanese people|Japanese]] || 17th
| [[South East Asia]], [[India]]
|-
| [[Luis Váez de Torres]]
| Portuguese || 17th
| Australasia
|-
| [[Nuno Tristão]]
| Portuguese || 15th
| [[west Africa]]n coast, [[Guinea-Bissau]]
|-
| [[Hasekura Tsunenaga]]
| Japanese || 17th
| [[Mexico]], [[Europe]]
|-
|}
== U ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Andrés de Urdaneta]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[Manila Galleon]] route
|-
|}
== V ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Cayetano Valdés y Flores|Cayetano Valdés]]
| Spanish || 18th
| [[Pacific Northwest]]
|-
| [[George Vancouver]]
| [[British people|British]]|| 18th
| Pacific coast of North America<ref>[[West Coast of the United States|U.S. Pacific Coast]], [[Pacific Northwest]].</ref>
|-
| [[Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye|Pierre Gaultier de Varennes]]
| [[French Canadian]] || 18th
| [[western Canada]]
|-
| [[Gonçalo Velho]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[Azores]]
|-
| [[Giovanni da Verrazzano]]
| [[Italians|Italian]] || early 16th
| [[East Coast of the United States]]
|-
| [[Amerigo Vespucci]]
| Italian || 15th/16th
| eastern [[South America]]n coast, [[Caribbean]]
|-
| [[Ruy López de Villalobos]]
| [[Spanish people|Spanish]] || 16th
| [[Pacific Ocean]], [[Philippines]]
|-
| [[Willem de Vlamingh]]
| [[Flemish people|Flemish]]/[[Dutch people|Dutch]] || 17th
| [[southwest Australia]]n coast
|-
|}
== W ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[Jean-Frédéric Waldeck]]
| [[French people|French]] || 19th
| [[Mesoamerica]] ([[Maya civilization|Maya]]n remains)
|-
| [[Thomas Walker (explorer)|Thomas Walker]]
| [[British people|British]] || 18th
| [[eastern United States]]<ref>[[Allegheny Mountains]], [[Cumberland Plateau]].</ref>
|-
| [[Langdon Warner]]
| [[United States|American]] || early 20th
| the [[Silk Road]]
|-
| [[Harry de Windt]]
| French || 19th/20th
| [[Eurasia]]
|-
|}
== Y ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[John Young (Hawaii)|John Young]]
| British || 18th
| [[Hawaii]]
|-
| [[Francis Younghusband|Sir Francis Younghusband]]
| [[British people|British]] || 19th/20th
| [[central Asia]]
|-
| [[Yermak Timofeyevich]]
| [[Russians|Russian]] || 16th
| [[Siberia]]
|-
|}
== Z ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="250px"| Name
!width="125px"| Nationality !!width="100px"| Century
!width="400px"| Main area/s explored
|-
| [[João Gonçalves Zarco]]
| [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] || 15th
| [[Madeira Islands]]
|-
| [[Zhang Qian]]
| [[China|Chinese]] || [[2nd century BCE|2nd BCE]]
| [[central Asia]]
|-
| [[Xuanzang]]
| [[China|Chinese]] || 7th
| [[Indian subcontinent]], [[Central Asia]]
|-
| [[Zheng He]]
| Chinese [[Islam|Muslim]]|| 15th
| [[South Asia]], [[Southeast Asia]], [[Middle East]], [[East Africa]]n coast, possibly [[Americas]]
|-
|}
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
== See also ==
* [[Age of Discovery]]
* [[Astronaut|Astronaut/Cosmonaut]]
** [[International Space Station]]
* [[Bandeirantes]]
* [[Conquistador]]
* [[Exploration]]
* [[Exploration of Asia]]
* [[List of maritime explorers]]
* [[Radhanite]]s
* [[Silk Road]]
* [[Spice trade]]
* [[Trans-Saharan trade]]
* [[Travel literature]]
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