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Spanish Exploration of Cuba (1508)

Type Event Region Caribbean Time 1508

In 1508, Spanish explorer Sebastián de Ocampo was ordered to sail around Cuba's coast, confirming it was an island rather than an extension of the As…

Timeline

  1. 1508Hispaniola · HispaniolaDispatched by Governor Nicolás de Ovando, Sebastián de Ocampo led a fleet from Hispaniola with the goal of resolving the geographic dispute over whether Cuba was a peninsula or an island, a question open since Columbus's first visit in 1492.
  2. 1508Circumnavigation route around Cuba · CubaOcampo's fleet completed a circumnavigation along Cuba's southern coast, western tip, and northern shore, confirming Cuba was an independent island, recording its harbors, rivers, and coastal settlements, and making him the first European to complete a voyage around Cuba.
  3. 1508–1509Spain · SpainThe results of the circumnavigation were presented to the Spanish Crown, confirming Cuba's insular geography, prompting the Crown to approve further conquest plans, and providing a basis for decision-making for Velázquez's 1511 expedition.

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