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Who were the first explorers into the interior of Africa?
The first Europeans to enter Southern Africa were the Portuguese, who from the 15th century edged their way around the African coast in the hope of outflanking Islam, finding a sea route to the riches of India, and discovering additional sources of food.
Who were the major explorers of the interior of Africa?
Great Explorers: Africa
- Richard Francis Burton. One of Britain’s most iconic and individualistic explorers, Richard Francis Burton was a true polymath.
- John Hanning Speke.
- David Livingstone.
- Henry Morton Stanley.
- Heinrich Barth.
- Frederick Russell Burnham.
- Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza.
- Mungo Park.
Who reached Africa first?
In 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias (c. 1450-1500) became the first European mariner to round the southern tip of Africa, opening the way for a sea route from Europe to Asia.
When Europe first began to explore Africa what did they find?
The purpose of the exploration: to expand European geographic knowledge, to find the source of prized African gold, and to locate a possible sea route to valuable Asian spices. In 1441, for the first time, Portuguese sailors obtained gold dust from traders on the western coast of Africa.
When was Africa colonized by Europe?
European nations colonized Africa from the late 19th century until the middle to later 20th century. Although Europeans had had contact with many parts of Africa much longer than this (for example, through the Atlantic Slave Trade), they did not impose a formal rule of law over Africa until this time period.
Who were the first Europeans to come to Africa?
Europeans began to arrive in the African continent as far back as the early 15th century. For instance, in an African country like Ghana, which was formerly called the Gold Coast, the first Europeans to set foot in the country were the Portuguese.
What did the early explorers do in Africa?
Most of their time in Africa was limited to trade along the coast, first in gold, ivory, spices, and later enslaved people. In 1788 Joseph Banks, the botanist who’d sailed across the Pacific Ocean with Cook, went as far as to found the African Association to promote the exploration of the interior of the continent.
How were the Europeans normally welcomed in Africa?
The Europeans were normally given a warm welcome by chiefs and people of the African continent. Below are some of the major reasons why the Europeans travelled to Africa: The zeal to discover more – one of the major reasons the Europeans came to Africa was because they wanted to discover other parts of the world.
Why did European missionaries come to Africa?
The European missionaries knew of this, and in accordance with the principles of the Bible which encourages Christians to go out and win souls for Christ, the European missionaries decided to do just that. They came to Africa in order to spread Christianity to the African people who embraced the religion with great eagerness.