Christopher Columbus (Latin: Columbus, ital. Colombo, Spanish. Colon)
(1451, Genoa, - 20/5/1506, Valladolid), a sailor, originally Genoa. In
1476-1484 years he lived in Lisbon and the Portuguese island of Madeira
and Porto Santo. Based on the ancient doctrine of the sphericity of the
Earth and errors in the calculations of scientists of 15 th century,
the western part of Colombia, in his view, the shortest sea route from
Europe to India. In 1485, after the Portuguese king rejected his plan,
Columbus moved to Castile, where supported mainly Andalusian merchants
and bankers, the Organization has achieved under his leadership, the
Government of the expedition. 1-I expedition (1492-1493), composed of 90 persons on board the
Santa Maria, Pinta, Nina, left Palos on Aug. 3, 1492, from the Canary
Islands turned to the West (9 September), crossed the Atlantic Ocean in
the subtropical zone and has reached the island of San Salvador in the
Bahamas archipelago where Columbus landed on October 12, 1492 (official
opening date of America). October 14-24, Columbus visited a number of
other Bahamian islands, and on October 28 to December 5, discovered and
explored the area north-east coast of Cuba. 6 December, Columbus
reached the island of Haiti and was moving along the northern coast. On
the night of 25 December flagship Santa Maria sat on the reef, but the
people escaped. Columbus on the ship "Nina", 4-16 January 1493
completed the survey of the northern coast of Haiti and March 15,
returned to Castile.
2-I expedition (1493-1496), which led Columbus to the rank of
admiral, in the position of viceroy of the newly discovered lands,
consisted of 17 vessels with a crew of more than 1,5 thousand people.
November 3, 1493 Columbus discovered the island of Dominica and
Guadeloupe, turning to the north-west - about 20 Lesser Antilles
islands, including Antigua and the Virgin, and on 19 November - on the
island of Puerto Rico and went to the northern coast of Haiti. 12-29
March 1494, Columbus in search of gold made an aggressive campaign in
Haiti, and moved Cordillera Central mountain range. April 29 to May 3,
Columbus 3 vessels passed along the southeastern coast of Cuba, turned
from Cape Cruz to the South and will open on May 5, Jamaica. Back on
May 15 to Cape Cruz, Columbus passed along the southern coast of Cuba,
longitude 84 ° West longitude, discovered an archipelago Jardines de la
Reina, Zapata Peninsula and the Isle of Pines. June 24, Columbus turned
east and reviewed 19 August-15 September, the entire southern coast of
Haiti. In 1495, Columbus continued its conquest of Haiti, March 10,
1496 left the island on June 11, he returned to Castile.
3 Expedition (1498-1500) consisted of 6 ships, 3 of which he led
Columbus across the Atlantic Ocean near latitude latitude 10 ° north
latitude. 31 July 1498, he discovered the island of Trinidad, entered
from the south in the Gulf of Paria, discovered the mouth of the
western branch of the delta of the Orinoco River and the Paria
Peninsula, beginning the opening of South America. Coming then to the
Caribbean Sea, Columbus went to the Araya Peninsula, opened on August
15 at Margarita Island and 31 August, arrived in the city of Santo
Domingo (on the island of Haiti). In 1500 he was arrested on a tip-off
and sent to Castile, where he was released.
4-I expedition (1502-1504). Having won permission to continue the
search for the western route to India, Colombia 4 courts came to the
June 15, 1502 the island of Martinique, July 30 - Gulf of Honduras and
is open from 1 August 1502 to 1 May 1503 the Caribbean coast of
Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Persian Gulf Uraba.
Turning to the north, June 25, 1503, crashed off the island of Jamaica;
assistance from Santo Domingo came only a year later. In Castile,
Columbus returned on Nov. 7, 1504.
Discoveries of Columbus accompanied the colonization of land, the
basis of Spanish settlement, enslavement and mass extermination of the
indigenous population, which he called the Indians.
Discussions on the primacy of Columbus in the discovery of America
in the scientific literature. Established that the islands and coastal
areas of northern and north-eastern America was visited by the Normans
for hundreds of years before Columbus, it is possible that Europeans
and Africans reached the shores of tropical America by accident.
However, only Columbus' discovery of world-historical importance,
because only after his voyages American land included within the scope
of geographical representation. Discoveries of Columbus contributed to
the revision of the medieval world and the emergence of colonial
empires.