Which explorer crossed the Isthmus of Panama to reach the Pacific Ocean in 1513?

Which explorer crossed the Isthmus of Panama to reach the Pacific Ocean in 1513?

• A. Columbus
• B. Balboa
• C. Magellan
• D. Vespucci

Answer: (B)

Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama in 1513, becoming the first European to glimpse the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. He led an overland trek from the Caribbean side through the Darién forests to the Pacific coast, proving that a sea passage lay to the west and that the Atlantic and Pacific were connected by land. This achievement opened up the western coast of the continent to further exploration and helped Spain claim new Pacific-facing territories. Columbus reached the Americas by sea and did not cross the Isthmus to reach the Pacific. Magellan's later voyage demonstrated the Pacific by sailing west from the Americas, but it began years after Balboa’s crossing and did not involve this 1513 crossing. Vespucci explored parts of South America but did not perform the crossing described.

Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama in 1513, becoming the first European to glimpse the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. He led an overland trek from the Caribbean side through the Darién forests to the Pacific coast, proving that a sea passage lay to the west and that the Atlantic and Pacific were connected by land. This achievement opened up the western coast of the continent to further exploration and helped Spain claim new Pacific-facing territories. Columbus reached the Americas by sea and did not cross the Isthmus to reach the Pacific. Magellan's later voyage demonstrated the Pacific by sailing west from the Americas, but it began years after Balboa’s crossing and did not involve this 1513 crossing. Vespucci explored parts of South America but did not perform the crossing described.