Iberian nautical sciences, 1400–1600

Throughout the early Age of Exploration, it became increasingly clear that the residents of the Iberian Peninsula were experts at navigation, sailing, and expansion. From Henry the Navigator's first adventures down the African coast to Columbus's fabled expedition resulting in the discovery of the new world, the figures that catalyzed the European appetite for expansion and imperialism heralded from either Portugal or Spain.

Source: Wikipedia — Iberian nautical sciences, 1400–1600 (CC BY-SA 4.0)