Editing Geographical exploration (section)

===Roman explorations===
;Africa exploration
The Romans [[Romans in sub-Saharan Africa|organized expeditions]] to cross the [[Sahara]] along five different routes:

*through the [[Western Sahara]], toward the [[Niger River]], near modern [[Timbuktu]]
*through the [[Tibesti Mountains]], toward [[Lake Chad]] and modern [[Nigeria]]
*up the [[Nile]] valley through [[Aegyptus|Egypt]], toward the [[Great Rift Valley]]
*along the western coast of Africa, toward the [[Sénégal River]]
*along the coast of the [[Red Sea]], toward the [[Horn of Africa]], and perhaps modern [[Zanzibar]].

All these expeditions were supported by legionaries and had mainly a commercial purpose. Only the one conducted by emperor [[Nero]] seemed to be a preparative for the conquest of [[Ethiopia]] or [[Nubia]]; in 62 AD, two legionaries [[Nero's exploration of the Nile|explored the sources of the Nile]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8OgVKbssrT0C&pg=PT364 |title=A Companion to the Neronian Age |first1=Emma |last1=Buckley |first2=Martin |last2=Dinter |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |date=3 May 2013 |page=364 |isbn=9781118316535}}</ref>

One of the main objectives of the explorations was to locate and obtain [[gold]], using [[camel]]s to transport it overland back to Roman provinces on the Mediterranean coast.<ref>Roth, Jonathan 2002. ''The Roman Army in Tripolitana and Gold Trade with Sub-Saharan Africa''. APA Annual Convention. New Orleans.</ref>

The explorations near the African western and eastern coasts were supported by Roman ships and deeply related to the naval commerce (mainly toward the [[Indian Ocean]]).
The Romans also organized [[Germanic–Roman contacts|several explorations into Northern Europe]], and [[Sino-Roman relations|explored as far as China]] in [[Asia]].

;30 BC – 640 AD: With the acquisition of Ptolemaic Egypt, [[Indo-Roman trade relations|the Romans begin trading with India]]. The Romans now have a direct connection to the [[spice trade]], which the Egyptians had established beginning in 118 BC.

;100–166 AD: [[Sino-Roman relations]] begin. [[Ptolemy]] [[Geography (Ptolemy)|writes]] of the [[Golden Chersonese]] (i.e. [[Malay Peninsula]]) and the trade port of Kattigara, now identified as [[Óc Eo]] in northern [[Vietnam]], then part of [[Jiaozhou (region)|Jiaozhou]], a province of the Chinese [[Han dynasty|Han Empire]]. The [[Twenty-Four Histories|Chinese historical texts]] describe Roman embassies, from a land they called ''[[Daqin]]''.

;2nd century: Roman traders reach [[Siam]], [[Cambodia]], [[Sumatra]], and [[Java]].

;161: An embassy from Roman Emperor [[Antoninus Pius]] or his successor [[Marcus Aurelius]] reaches Chinese [[Emperor Huan of Han]] at [[Luoyang]].

;226: A Roman diplomat or merchant lands in northern Vietnam and visits [[Nanjing]], China and the court of [[Sun Quan]], ruler of [[Eastern Wu]].