Q.1 Who is often credited with initiating the European Age of Exploration by sponsoring voyages along the west coast of Africa?
Christopher Columbus
Prince Henry the Navigator
Vasco da Gama
Ferdinand Magellan
Explanation - Prince Henry of Portugal, known as the Navigator, sponsored expeditions along the African coast, promoting exploration and maritime knowledge.
Correct answer is: Prince Henry the Navigator
Q.2 Which explorer was the first to reach India by sea from Europe, establishing a direct trade route?
Christopher Columbus
Vasco da Gama
Ferdinand Magellan
John Cabot
Explanation - Vasco da Gama sailed around the Cape of Good Hope to reach India in 1498, opening a direct maritime trade route from Europe.
Correct answer is: Vasco da Gama
Q.3 Christopher Columbus originally set out to find a western route to which region?
Africa
India
China
South America
Explanation - Columbus aimed to reach Asia by sailing west from Europe, underestimating the distance and instead landing in the Americas in 1492.
Correct answer is: India
Q.4 Which treaty in 1494 divided newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal?
Treaty of Tordesillas
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Versailles
Explanation - The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the non-European world between Spain and Portugal along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands.
Correct answer is: Treaty of Tordesillas
Q.5 Which explorer was the first to circumnavigate the globe, although he did not survive the entire journey?
Ferdinand Magellan
Francisco Pizarro
Henry Hudson
Bartolomeu Dias
Explanation - Ferdinand Magellan led the expedition that first circumnavigated the globe (1519-1522), though he was killed in the Philippines before its completion.
Correct answer is: Ferdinand Magellan
Q.6 The Columbian Exchange refers to:
The exchange of explorers between Europe and Asia
The transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds
A treaty between Spain and Portugal
The trade of spices from India to Europe
Explanation - The Columbian Exchange describes the widespread transfer of crops, animals, culture, human populations, and diseases following Columbus's voyages.
Correct answer is: The transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds
Q.7 Which of these was a major consequence of European exploration in the Americas?
The decline of indigenous populations due to diseases
The unification of Europe
The industrialization of Asia
The abolition of slavery
Explanation - European diseases like smallpox decimated native populations who had no immunity, drastically affecting American societies.
Correct answer is: The decline of indigenous populations due to diseases
Q.8 Who reached the southern tip of Africa in 1488, opening a route to the Indian Ocean?
Bartolomeu Dias
Christopher Columbus
Vasco da Gama
Ferdinand Magellan
Explanation - Bartolomeu Dias successfully sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, proving a sea route to the Indian Ocean was possible.
Correct answer is: Bartolomeu Dias
Q.9 Which European country was the first to establish a sea route to India?
Portugal
Spain
England
France
Explanation - Portugal pioneered maritime exploration along the African coast, and Vasco da Gama's voyage reached India in 1498.
Correct answer is: Portugal
Q.10 The conquest of the Aztec Empire was led by which Spanish explorer?
Hernán Cortés
Francisco Pizarro
Juan Ponce de León
Hernando de Soto
Explanation - Hernán Cortés led the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1519-1521, aided by alliances with indigenous groups and superior weaponry.
Correct answer is: Hernán Cortés
Q.11 The Inca Empire was conquered by which explorer?
Francisco Pizarro
Hernán Cortés
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Ferdinand Magellan
Explanation - Francisco Pizarro led the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru (1532-1533), exploiting internal divisions and superior military technology.
Correct answer is: Francisco Pizarro
Q.12 Which product became a major export from the Americas to Europe following exploration?
Potatoes
Tea
Silk
Coffee
Explanation - Potatoes, along with maize, tomatoes, and other crops, were introduced to Europe from the Americas, significantly impacting European agriculture and diet.
Correct answer is: Potatoes
Q.13 Which of these was NOT a motivation for European exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries?
The search for new trade routes
Religious expansion
Scientific curiosity
Establishment of global communism
Explanation - European exploration was driven by trade, wealth, religious expansion, and curiosity, but not by political ideologies like communism, which emerged centuries later.
Correct answer is: Establishment of global communism
Q.14 The first permanent European settlement in the Americas was established by which country?
Spain
Portugal
England
France
Explanation - Spain established permanent settlements in the Caribbean, such as Santo Domingo (1498), marking the start of European colonization.
Correct answer is: Spain
Q.15 Magellan's expedition proved that:
The world was round and could be circumnavigated by sea
The Americas were part of Asia
Africa could not be sailed around
China was the largest empire
Explanation - Magellan's voyage demonstrated that the Earth could be circumnavigated, providing practical proof of its roundness.
Correct answer is: The world was round and could be circumnavigated by sea
Q.16 Which European power dominated the spice trade in the 16th century?
Portugal
Spain
England
France
Explanation - Portugal controlled key ports and trade routes in the Indian Ocean, monopolizing valuable spices such as cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Correct answer is: Portugal
Q.17 The term 'Conquistador' refers to:
Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered territories in the Americas
Portuguese navigators in Africa
English traders in India
French missionaries in North America
Explanation - Conquistadors were Spanish adventurers and soldiers responsible for the conquest of large parts of the Americas during the 16th century.
Correct answer is: Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered territories in the Americas
Q.18 The Pacific Ocean was first crossed by Europeans during the expedition of:
Ferdinand Magellan
Christopher Columbus
John Cabot
Henry Hudson
Explanation - Magellan's expedition (1519-1522) crossed the Pacific Ocean, demonstrating its vastness and connecting the Atlantic and Pacific routes.
Correct answer is: Ferdinand Magellan
Q.19 Which explorer claimed the territory of Florida for Spain?
Juan Ponce de León
Francisco Pizarro
Hernán Cortés
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Explanation - Juan Ponce de León explored and claimed Florida for Spain in 1513, seeking new lands and the mythical Fountain of Youth.
Correct answer is: Juan Ponce de León
Q.20 The term 'triangular trade' is associated with:
The transatlantic exchange of goods, enslaved people, and raw materials
The exchange of spices between Europe and Asia
The Silk Road trade
The trade of gold within Africa
Explanation - Triangular trade refers to the three-way trade system connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas, including enslaved people, sugar, and manufactured goods.
Correct answer is: The transatlantic exchange of goods, enslaved people, and raw materials
Q.21 Which Portuguese explorer was the first to cross the equator during an expedition down the African coast?
Bartolomeu Dias
Vasco da Gama
Henry the Navigator
Pedro Álvares Cabral
Explanation - Bartolomeu Dias crossed the equator while exploring the southern African coast, paving the way for further voyages to India.
Correct answer is: Bartolomeu Dias
Q.22 Which of these was a major maritime innovation that enabled longer voyages during the Age of Exploration?
The caravel
The steam engine
The trireme
The longship
Explanation - The caravel, with its triangular sails and maneuverability, allowed explorers to sail longer distances against the wind.
Correct answer is: The caravel
Q.23 The term 'New World' was used by Europeans to refer to:
The Americas
Africa
Asia
Australia
Explanation - Europeans called the Americas the 'New World' after its discovery during voyages of exploration, distinguishing it from the 'Old World' of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Correct answer is: The Americas
Q.24 Which explorer discovered the Pacific Ocean from the Americas?
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Ferdinand Magellan
Christopher Columbus
John Cabot
Explanation - In 1513, Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from the Americas.
Correct answer is: Vasco Núñez de Balboa