Who were the explorers for Portugal?

* Henry the Navigator (1394-1460): Prince Henry the Navigator was the driving force behind Portugal's Age of Exploration. He established a school for navigation in Sagres, Portugal, and sponsored many voyages of exploration. He is credited with discovering the Madeira and Azores islands, and he paved the way for the later Portuguese exploration of Africa and Asia.

* Vasco da Gama (c. 1469-1524): Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to sail to India. He rounded the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and reached Calicut, India, in 1498. His voyage opened up a new trade route to Asia and laid the foundation for Portugal's colonial empire in the East.

* Pedro Álvares Cabral (c. 1467-1520): Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to discover Brazil. He was blown off course on his way to India and reached Brazil in 1500. He claimed the land for Portugal and established a trading post there.

* Ferdinand Magellan (c. 1480-1521): Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to circumnavigate the world. He set out from Spain in 1519 with a fleet of five ships and crossed the Pacific Ocean. He reached the Philippines in 1521, but he was killed in a battle with the natives. His ship, the Victoria, continued on and completed the circumnavigation of the world.

* Bartolomeu Dias (c. 1450-1500): Bartolomeu Dias was a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to sail around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. He reached the cape in 1488, but he was forced to turn back due to a storm. His voyage proved that it was possible to sail from Europe to Asia around Africa, and it paved the way for Vasco da Gama's later voyage to India.