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Where was Luis de Torres born?
Origins and early life. Captain Luis Váez de Torres was recorded as being called a “Breton” by crewmen in reports of the 1606 –1608 voyage, which points to an origin in the northwest province of Spain, i. e., Galicia. Most contemporary historians accept this as evidence of his origins.
What is Luis Váez de Torres named?
The Torres Strait and Torres Strait Islands were named after the Spanish navigator Luis Vaez de Torres.
Why did Luis Váez de Torres travel?
One of his companions, Luis Váez de Torres, charted southeastern New Guinea and then the strait (later named for him) between that island and Australia, although the discovery was unknown to later sailors. These Spanish expeditions were motivated by the search for riches, by zeal to extend Christianity, and,…
Where is the Torres Strait?
The Torres Strait waterway lies between Papua New Guinea to the north and the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland on the Australian mainland to the south. Of the more than 100 islands that constitute the Torres Strait Islands, 17 are occupied by a total of 18 communities.
When did Luis Vaez de Torres discover Australia?
In about October 1606, Spaniard Luis Vaez de Torres sailed through the strait that now bears his name, between the northern tip of Cape York and New Guinea. He probably sighted the Australian mainland, but there is no evidence that he landed.
Who controls Torres Strait?
Today, the Torres Strait Regional Authority, an Australian government body established in 1994 and consisting of 20 elected representatives, oversees the islands, with its primary function being to strengthen the economic, social and cultural development of the peoples of the Torres Strait area.
How do Torres Strait Islanders live?
Torres Strait Islanders live in all states and territories of Australia, in urban, regional and remote areas, where they might practice their islander culture. The majority live in Queensland and New South Wales, but there are also large communities in Victoria and Tasmania.
How many Torres Strait islands are inhabited?
There are over 200 islands scattered throughout the Torres Strait, and of these 17 are inhabited.
How many Torres Strait Islanders live in Australia?
Today there are many more Torres Strait Islander people living in mainland Australia (nearly 28,000) than on the Islands (about 4,500). There are five distinct peoples within broader designation of Torres Strait Islander people, based partly on geographical and cultural divisions.
Where did Luis Vaez de Torres live?
Luis Vaez de Torres (flourished 1605-1607), navigator, was a Spanish subject, but nothing is known of his birth or early life.
Where is Torres Strait named after Luis Vaez de Torres?
Luis Vaez de Torres was a Spanish navigator. The Torres Strait—the waterway that separates the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia, and New Guinea—is named after him. The group of more than 100 islands located in the strait are known as the Torres Strait Islands.
What is known about Torres’s life?
Nothing is known about Torres’s life until 1605. That year, he left Peru as part of an expedition in search of a southern continent. At the time, Europeans did not know that Australia existed.
What country did Francisco de Torres sail for?
Torres entered the navy of the Spanish Crown at some point and found his way to its South American colonies. By late 160, he first entered the historical record as the nominated commander of the second ship in an expedition to the Pacific proposed by the Portuguese born navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, searching for Terra Australis.