Age of Exploration Vocabulary List

What is the term for the period from the 15th to 17th centuries when Europeans explored the world by sea, expanding trade and global connections?

• Age of Exploration (Age of Discovery)

• Industrial Revolution

• Middle Ages

• Renaissance

What is the name of the small, fast, and maneuverable ship developed by the Portuguese that was crucial for long voyages?

• Caravel

• Galleon

• Junk

• Trireme

What navigational tool was used to determine latitude by measuring the position of the stars?

• Astrolabe

• Compass

• Sextant

• Chronometer

What instrument shows direction, improved navigation, and allowed open-sea travel?

• Compass

• Barometer

• Telescope

• Sextant

What is the economic policy in which nations sought to increase wealth by exporting more than importing and accumulating precious metals?

• Mercantilism

• Capitalism

• Socialism

• Feudalism

What is the term for the transfer of plants, animals, people, diseases, and ideas between the Old World and New World after 1492?

• Columbian Exchange

• Silk Road

• Industrial Revolution

• Great Migration

What is the term for Spanish conquerors who explored and claimed land in the Americas (e.g., Cortés, Pizarro)?

• Conquistador

• Viceroy

• Missionary

• Caballero

What is the name of the hoped-for sea route through North America to Asia that explorers searched for but never found?

• Northwest Passage

• Panama Canal

• Suez Canal

• Silk Road

What is the term for sailing all the way around the globe, first completed by Ferdinand Magellan's expedition?

• Circumnavigation

• Navigation

• Transatlantic Voyage

• Polar Expedition

What is the name of the business entity where investors pool resources to fund voyages and share profits and risks?

• Joint-Stock Company

• Sole Proprietorship

• Partnership

• Guild