Chad

SAILING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
Once a divider of continents, the Atlantic Ocean today brings nations together. Medieval Europeans believed "there be dragons" beyond the ocean's glaring horizon. Once they considered that another world lay on the other side, the Atlantic became an avenue of conquest and trade. The ensuing crossings altered the history of the world. The Viking Leif Eriksson was the first European to make the voyage, stepping foot on North America around the year 1000. Columbus journeyed there nearly 500 years later, followed by countless explorers who would bring their cultures to the New World. Today, transAtlantic cables on the ocean's bed allow for instantaneous communication and jets "hop the pond" in a few hours' time.Read more