Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body (e.g. a planet or moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth.
The first circumnavigation of the Earth was the Magellan Expedition, which sailed from Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain in 1519 and returned in 1522, after crossing the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Since the rise of commercial aviation in the late 20th century, circumnavigating Earth is straightforward, usually taking days instead of years.[1] Today, the challenge of circumnavigating Earth has shifted towards human and technological endurance, speed, and less conventional methods.
- ^ Howie, Cherie (27 January 2018). "Kiwi airline exec breaks record for world circumnavigation on commercial airlines". New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.