Portuguese Exploration along the African Coast

Name: Portuguese Exploration along the African Coast
Start: 1431
End: 1440

Type Event Region Europe Time 1431–1440

In the 1430s, Portugal under Prince Henry systematically explored the West African coast;…

Timeline

1434Cape Bojador · Sahara Desert edgeAfter many failures, Gil Eanes led a fleet along the African coast, successfully rounding Cape Bojador and returning safely, disproving legends of the sea's impassability and marking a decisive turning point in Portugal's southward exploration.
1435–1440Mouth of the Senegal River · SenegalAfter rounding Cape Bojador, Portuguese fleets continued south, reaching the Mauritanian coast and exploring as far as the Senegal River, trading with locals, gathering intelligence on gold and ivory, and beginning to seize Africans as slaves.

Portuguese discovery of the sea route — Cape Bojador and beyond https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Bojador