Today, the world has become very small.... Satellites circle the globe in minutes, radio and television bring information from the most remote corners of the planet, and only a few hours of flight is required for tourists from Europe to get to the opposite side of the Earth. But it wasn't always .. In the last century, the crossing of the Atlantic took several weeks, and sailing ships reached India for more than one month. The vast steppes and deserts of Central Asia were as little known to Europeans as the humid tropics of the Congo or the eternal ice of Antarctica. And if today we know our Earth better than in ancient times, it is the merit of brave navigators, courageous pioneers and tireless researchers. Their adventures are told in this volume "What is that" . In spite of the dangers they face, CM Real or Imaginary , And they went out into the unknown....................................... where their thirst for glory and military honors entailed , Desire to find gold , Precious stones and exotic spices , opening new trade routes , to introduce other peoples to their faith or just curiosity and craving for knowledge . No less important is the merit of scientists who collected and processed their travel records, which helped them to create a cartographic image of our planet and constantly improve it. The discovery of new lands is one of the most exciting and fascinating pages in the history of the world. Contact with a foreign culture expanded the picture of the world familiar to Europeans and enriched their life experience. Unfortunately, they often came as conquerors, and the consequences of geographical discoveries, such as white supremacy, brutal violence and disease, sometimes proved disastrous for entire peoples. "What Is What" is a series of thematic encyclopedias published from 1994 to 2001 by the publishing house "Word" and aimed at school-age children. Initially, it was translated materials of a similar German series "Was ist was", but later, as part of the series, the publishing house began to produce works by domestic authors. The abundance of illustrations, fascination, diversity and accessibility of the presentation of the material predetermined the great popularity of the series. "What is What" easy reading - serious knowledge!Other books in the series "What is What":Byzantine Wolves of Heaven. Flags Calendar. Caves of the Cat. Time. Dolls. Butterflies Sculpture. Our Body . Ancient Greeks Ancient myths Myths of Slavs Sun Apes Ancient China . Painting Orbital Stations . Underwater exploration of the Earth Planet Ancient Greece. Trees. Forest. Poisonous plants . Money from Russia . Multimedia and virtual worlds Natural Disasters Mountains Pyramids Museums Travelers . Crusaders Weather. Bees, Bumblebees, Wasps Moors Elephants Fish Birds Ships Gladiators Samurai. Pirates. Water. Bridges . Geographic Maps of the Witch Star. Internet Seven Wonders of the World Predators Nuclear Power Arctic and Antarctic. Indians Horses Dinosaurs Ancient Russia . Moscow Rus Revival . Mysterious Treasure Phenomena . Tropical Forest