The Earth, the world in which we live today, as everyone knows and accepts for granted, is spherical or round. However, this indisputable fact was not entirely considered true by many great philosophers and thinkers of the 16th century, who believed that the earth was flat or quadrilateral. For the majority of people, it would have taken some form of physical proof to convert their beliefs. Therefore, this proof was proven by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. In northern Portugal, in 1480, Ferdinand Magellan was born into a Portuguese noble family. However, both his parents unfortunately died when Magellan was young. Consequently, the young Magellan found himself at a very young age in the service of royalty (“World Biography”). Magellan was only 12 years old when he began serving the Queen of Portugal as a page; an employment position for young people in the royal courts. Additionally, as a young member of Queen Leonora's school of pages in Lisbon, Magellan was supported to be instructed in subjects that would greatly help him in the future, such as cartography (mapping), l astronomy and celestial navigation, or to learn to direct. ships based on the positions of the stars ("World Biography."). Thus, the death of his parents gave him the opportunity to receive an adequate education, to learn about the various Portuguese expeditions to India and Africa, including those led by Christopher Columbus, to participate in various sea voyages and to experience battles. In the 15th century, spices were valuable and central to the global economy. However, since no spices could be cultivated in cold, arid Europe ("Ferdinand Magellan." History.), no effort was made...... middle of paper ...... of maritime navigation , and this process has made the world much smaller. Furthermore, European geographical knowledge was greatly expanded by Magellan's expedition, and his ambitious journey around the world provided Europeans with much more than just spices. He also discovered the Strait of Magellan and named the Pacific Ocean (“Ferdinand Magellan”). Additionally, mapmakers gained more knowledge about the shape and size of South America and the Pacific Ocean, as well as the location of Asia in relation to Europe and the Americas. This cartography proved an invaluable source for European understanding of the world. The most important geography is Magellan's realization/understanding of the full extent of the Earth, which contributed significantly to the development of future geographical explorations and the resulting knowledge of today's world..