The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration, was a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century. The Portuguese began systematically exploring the Atlantic coast, eventually reaching the Indian Ocean. In 1492, racing to find a trade route to Asia, the Spanish monarchs funded Christopher Columbus’s plan to sail west to reach the Indies by crossing the Atlantic. He landed on an uncharted continent, then seen by Europeans as a new world and later called America. To prevent conflict between Portugal and Spain, a treaty was signed dividing the world into two vast territories. In 1498, an expedition led by Vasco da Gama finally achieved the Portuguese dream of reaching India, as he sailed around Africa, opening up direct trade with Asia.