exploration

Abraham Ortelius's 1570 world map, the world's first modern atlas. Geographical exploration, sometimes considered the default meaning for the more general term exploration, refers to the practice of discovering remote lands and regions of the planet Earth. It is studied by geographers and historians.

Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: a long era of divergence followed by a comparatively recent era of convergence. The first, spanning most of the existence of Homo sapiens, saw humans migrating out of Africa, settling in new lands, and developing distinct cultures in relative isolation. Early explorers settled in Europe and Asia; 14,000 years ago, some crossed the Ice Age land bridge from Siberia to Alaska and moved southbound to settle in the Americas. For the most part, these cultures were ignorant of each other's existence. The second period of exploration, occurring over the last 10,000 years and accelerating in recent centuries, involved cross-cultural exchange, trade, conflict, and convergence.