The '''Age of Discovery ''' or Age of Exploration was a period from the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century, during which European ships traveled around the world to search for new trading routes and partners to feed burgeoning [[capitalism]] in Europe.They also were in search for trading goods like gold and silver. In the process, Europeans encountered peoples and mapped lands previously unknown to them. Among the most famous explorers of the period were [[Christopher Columbus]], [[Vasco da Gama]], [[Pedro Álvares Cabral]], [[John Cabot]], [[Yermak, Juan Ponce de León]], [[Bartholomew Diaz]], [[Ferdinand Magellan]], [[Willem Barents]], [[Abel Tasman]], [[Jacques Cartier]], [[Samuel de Champlain]], [[Willem Jansz]] and [[Captain James Cook]].
The Age of Exploration was rooted in new technologies and ideas growing out of the Renaissance. These included advances in cartography, navigation, firepower and shipbuilding. Many people wanted to find a route to [[Asia]] through the west of [[Europe]]. The most important development was the invention of first the carrack and then [[caravel]] in Iberia. These vessels evolved from medieval European designs with a fruitful combination of Mediterranean and North Sea innovations and the addition of some Arabic elements. They were the first ships that could leave the relatively passive Mediterranean and sail safely on the open Atlantic.