who discovered what

[froggo]

was england the only nation to discover the rest of the world?

[jake-the-peg]

Well the Vikings discovered America but then forgot again! You just can't trust these Scandanavians.

Christopher Columbus had to go round there and discover it all over again.

Say what you like about those Italians but when they discover something it damn well stays discovered!

[jno]

The Spanish and Portuguese got into pole position and ended up dividing South America between them. The Spanish also colonised much of central and north America. (Columbus may have been Italian but he was working for the Spaniards.) The Dutch, Italians and French got into the act too.

[jno]

should have added that that's just the Europeans. The Chinese had done a lot of exploring too.

[spudqueen]

Well the Romans discovered us!

[alfiebrady]

...and when Columbus discovered America, he also discovered (the descendants of) people who discovered it before him...

[joko]

discover? ...it wasn't lost...

[steve @ home]

If you consider that humans evolved in Africa, then groups began to spread around the world, then adapted to local conditions , then became separated from each other over time, then started exploring again from where they had ended up... you really have to ask who is discovering whom?

[chasam]

Columbus wasnt lost, he was trying to demonstrate that the earth was round and that he would be able to get to India that way...

[THECORBYLOON]

chasam considering Columbus thought he was in the Indies (modern day Asia) hence West Indies, I'd say he was lost.......

[vehelpfulguy]

No nation discovered anywhere because it was already there, even if it was not inhabited.

What England DID do was conolise.

We went to less advanced places, made it an outpost of England, killed many of the locals, and stole their valuables like gold, spices etc. (not critisizing but that is was we did).

We also built fine building and railways (India has some fine buildings built by the English) and brought law and government where there was none.

Other European nations who did this were Spain, France, Portugal, Holland.

Much of Africa was divided up by these 4 countries.

Spain, Portugal, England and Dutch did the same with north and south America, which is why many countries in South America speak Spanish or Portuagese.

[pugwashjw]

The Dutch were very good too. The knew about Australia, mainly the west coast, and knew it was practically useless [ since proved wrong] as they went on their way to the spice islands [ Indonesia]. Portugal was a player also.