What was the route used by Christopher Columbus, to the New World?
teachnm Teacher Elementary / Primary eNotes Editor On his first transatlantic voyage, Columbus sailed from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, to the Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa. He then crossed the Atlantic in 5 weeks and ended up landing in the Bahamas. Exactly which island he landed on is not clear. During this 5 week Atlantic crossing, Columbus’ ships were propelled by the trade winds, easterly winds between about 30° latitude and the equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the trade winds blow from northeast to southwest and are called the Northeasterly Trades. To get back home to Europe, Columbus was able to sail farther north and pick up the Westerlies, winds which blow from west to east across the Atlantic between 30 and 60 degrees latitude. These winds carried him from North America back to Spain. Sources: http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0094-trade-wind… http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0095-westerlies… Rate answer: $(‘#aScore-55353’).
