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iberian peninsula
An Emerging Iberian
Peninsula
Separated from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees and
Africa by the Strait of Gibraltar, the Iberian Peninsula is
surrounded by water on three sides and protrudes from
Europe into the Atlantic like a massive cruise ship terminal,
beckoning the nautical spirit. Rivers like the Tagus, which
originates in Spain and flows into Portugal before emptying
near Lisbon, provided ideal environments for sea trade and
the pursuit of boat building, perhaps inspiring dreams of
ocean conquests.
From the earliest stages of the Age of Exploration,
the people of the Iberian Peninsula gained acclaim as
navigation and sailing experts while expanding the
stature of Spain and Portugal worldwide. Prince Henry the
Navigator, third son of Portugal’s King John I, established
trading posts up and down the coast of West Africa.
Christopher Columbus’s famous expedition across the
Atlantic was financed and sponsored by Queen Isabella
of Spain. These journeys led to new trading lanes, the
meeting of cultures and a growing European appetite
for imperialism.
What made Spain and Portugal the early leaders of
European maritime exploration? Technological advantages
and the pursuit of nautical sciences that allowed them to
sail further, faster, safer and more accurately than other
would-be seafaring nations.
DETAIL INSIDE THE ANCIENT ARABIC FORTRESS
OF ALHAMBRA GRANADA, SPAIN
Moorish
Influence
This advanced technology arose from centuries of Iberian
Peninsula history. Despite a centuries-long war of Christian
re-conquest against the Muslim Moors from North Africa
(who conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD),
Spain experienced huge gains from the scientific and
technological achievements of the Moors.
A great advantage was the cultural integration of Moorish
Spain with Islamic empires further east. These realms
in Arab and Persian lands were burgeoning hubs of
economical and intellectual trade that stretched to China.
These inroads eventually led to the sharing of technologies
like the magnetic compass, paper and gunpowder, which
made their way westward throughout Islamic lands and
ultimately back to Moorish Spain.
In combination with advances in nautical instruments,
cartography and shipbuilding, these developments
would turn Spain into a world-leading repository of
navigational technology — tools that would be essential
for Columbus, Ponce de León (who led the first official
European expedition to Florida), Hernando de Soto (who
participated in the conquests of Central America and Peru)
and other explorers to seek glory upon the Atlantic Ocean.
BUST OF FAMOUS QUEEN ISABEL LA CATOLICA
IN PLAZA DE ESPANA — SEVILLA, SPAIN