Why did European explorers want to find the Northwest Passage?
Asia could then be reached quicker and more safely. The first country to find it would control it and gain great riches.
Caribbean islands, coast of Central America, and coast of South America
Answer:
In 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias (c. 1450-1500) became the first European mariner to round the southern tip of Africa, opening the way for a sea route from Europe to Asia.