Circumnavigate
to sail around the world
Protestant Reformation
A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches.
Bering Strait
Narrow body of water that separates Russia from Alaska
Amerigo Vespucci
A mapmaker and explorer who said that America was a new continent, so America was named after him.
conquistador
Spanish conqueror
Montezuma
Powerful Aztec monarch who fell to Spanish conquerors
Elizabeth I
English Queen and politique who united Protestants and Catholics through compromise
Astrolabe
An instrument used by sailors to determine their location by observing the position of the stars and planets
caravel
A small, highly maneuverable three-masted ship used by the Portuguese and Spanish in the exploration of the Atlantic.
compass
navigational instrument for finding directions