| Marco Polo | Wrote Travels about his 17 year journey in China |
| Banking | Made Italians Rich |
| Renaissance | Period where Europeans studied Classical works of Greeks and Romans |
| Movable Type and Printing Press | Spread ideas and knowledge |
| Astrolabe | Developed to measure latitude |
| Magnetic Compass | Brought from China and helped determine direction |
| Stern Rudder and Triangular Sail | Developed by Arabs for sailing into wind |
| Caravel | Deveoped by Portuguese to carry more cargo and travel faster |
| Ghana | (400-1200) Made $ from taxes on trade, Traded for salt, cloth, and brass. Trade caused many West Africans to become Muslims. |
| Almoravids | Group that attacked Ghana and ruined their trade routes |
| Mali | (1250-1500) Mansa Musa was greatest king. Timbuktu became an important Islamic center because of his pilgrimage to Mecca |
| Songhai | (1500-1600) Askiya Muhammad is leader; largest empire in Africa. |
| Moroccans | Defeated Songhai |
| Portugal | First country to start exploring because they did not have Med. port |
| Henry the Navigator | Set up navigation center for exploration. |
| Gold Coast | African area where there is much gold and ivory and where Europeans traded. |
| Dias | (1487) Sailed to southernmost part of Africa. Located Cape of Good Hope. |
| Gama | Discovered sea route around Africa |
| Cabral | Discovered Brazil |
| Queen Isabella | Sponsered Columbus voyage |
| Line of Demarcation | Divided land between Spain and Portugal |
| Treaty of Torsedillas | Moves line further so Portugal can claim Brazil |
| Vespucci | Mapped coast of South America |
| Balboa | Claimed Pacific Ocean and adjourning land |
| Magellan | Circumnavigated world |