Only since the end of the 15th century, with Europe's great maritime expansion towards distant continents, did mankind begin to see the globe as we know it today.
直到十五世紀末，歐洲航海事業發達，熱中航海探險的歐洲人，從地中海擴展到大西洋、印度洋、太平洋，相繼發現新的大陸，人類才對整個地球有了概略的認識。