exploration

exploration, travel to a part of the earth that is relatively unknown to the traveler's culture, historically often motivated by a desire for colonization, conquest, or trade.

See also space exploration, geography, and articles on localities, e.g., Africa, Arctic, the, Australia.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Polar Explorations
• The European “Age of Discovery”
• Early Exploration
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Maps and Mapping