Africa, as a continent, was not “discovered” in the sense that it was unknown. Indigenous peoples have lived on the continent for tens of thousands of years. However, in the context of European exploration, the Portuguese were among the first to explore the African coast extensively in the 15th century.
Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal sponsored many expeditions along the West African coast, beginning in the early 1400s. These voyages led to the mapping of much of the African coastline and eventually to the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, which opened the way for sea routes to Asia.
Before European exploration, Africa was well known to other civilizations. Ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and others had extensive contact with different parts of Africa, contributing to its rich history.
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