Amerigo Vespucci (explorer)

Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer and navigator in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is best known for his voyages to the New World, where he recognized that the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus were part of a separate continent, not Asia. Vespucci's detailed accounts and maps of his journeys helped to dispel previous misconceptions about the geography of the Americas. His name became associated with the continent itself, as "America" is derived from his first name. Vespucci's work contributed significantly to the European understanding of the New World and its geography.