The East Indies, a region comprising Southeast Asia and India, was known to the ancient world, but its discovery by European explorers is generally attributed to the Portuguese in the 16th century. Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, is credited with leading the first European expedition to India in 1498, when he reached Calicut on the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. This discovery opened the way for subsequent Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, British and French exploration and colonisation of the region, leading to significant cultural and economic interactions between Europe and the East Indies.