Abel Janszoon Tasman
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: The 17th and 18th Centuries
- Categories: Discovery, Exploration, Geography
- Subcategories: Ships, Naval History, Explorers
- Curriculum: Australian/New Zealand History, 17th Century European History, Asian History
Article abstract: Tasman was a Dutch navigator who discovered New Zealand, Australia, Tonga, the Fiji Islands, and Tasmania, which bears his name.
Early Life
Abel Janszoon Tasman was born in Lutjegast, The Netherlands, sometime around 1603. Little is known about his early life except that in 1632 he entered the services of the Dutch United East India Company. In the early 1600’s, the Dutch were replacing the Portuguese as the most powerful European influence in Asia. The East India Company was established as a monopoly that would control the enormously...
[The entire page is 2286 words long]
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