Spain
Explorers and Colonies
Spain had several different explores. The 12 main ones were:
Álvar Núñez Cabeza
Hernán Cortés
Pedro De Alvarado
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado
Bartolomé de Las Casas
Juan Ponce de León
Hernando de Soto
Francisco Pizarro
Gonzalo Pizarro
Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar
Amerigo Vespucci
Francisco Pizarro
In 1526 he traveled to Peru and received permission to claim the land for Spain. He conquered the Inca city of Cuzco. Then he founded Lima, which is now the capital of Peru.
Amerigo Vespucci
He discovered present-day Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata. Believing he had discovered a new continent, he called South America the New World. In 1507, America was named after him.
Hernán Cortés
He overthrew the Aztec empire and won Mexico for the crown of Spain.