To circumnavigate a place, such as an island, a continent, or the Earth is to travel all the way around it by boat or ship.
The first maritime circumnavigations of the globe were:
- Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese, but sailing for Spain), 1519-1522 - died during his circumnavigation, it was completed under command of Sebastian del Cano
- Francis Drake (English), 1577-1580
- Thomas Cavendish (English), 1586-1588
- Olivier van Noort (Dutch), 1598-1601
- pharaoh Necho II, first circumnavigation of Africa
- Robert Gray, 1787-1790 first American circumnavigation
- Adam Johann von Krusenstern, 1803-1806 first Russian circumnavigation
- Joshua Slocum 1895 - 1898 first solo circumnavigation of the world
- USS Nautilus first underwater circumnavigation of the world
- Matthew Flinders first circumnavigation of Australia
- James Cook first circumnavigation of New Zealand