Marco Polo was a famous explorer that lived in the 13th century. He was born in Venice in 1254. His father was a merchant.
He travelled to Far East and China through the Silk route and other routes. He’s famous for introducing a lot of things to the Europeans which he brought back with him.
His book, The Travels of Marco Polo told the stories of his journey. It acted as a major influence for other famous explorers such as Christopher Columbus.
Let’s have some fun!!!
As the names of the countries and deserts will be mentioned in the story ahead, you have to find those places on the globe or map, whichever is available with you.
Marco Polo found himself travelling overland through Asia using much of the Silk Road (A network of ancient routes between China, India and the Mediterranean Sea, used for trade and cultural purposes).
The silk route was called so because silk constituted most of the exports from China, through this route.
Polo along with his father and uncle sailed south from Venice to the Middle East.
They then went southeast overland to Persia (now Iran), then through the Pamir Mountains and the Gobi Desert, to Beijing, China. They explored the area south of Beijing, including Yunan and Szechuan.
He is credited to bring a lot of things from Asia to Europe and one of those things is the most revolutionary – paper money. Polo also brought coal, eyeglasses, and a variety of rare spices to Europe’s attention.
Throughout his travels, Polo encountered many unusual animals that he often mistook for mythical creatures. He described crocodiles as “huge serpents that could swallow a man at one time,” and he thought horned beasts such as the Asian rhinoceros were unicorns.
On his deathbed, his last words were, “I did not tell half of what I saw,” indicating that perhaps there were even more marvels he found that remain unknown.
Question Time
Q1 – In which country is the city of Venice?
Q2 – Which countries come under the Far East?
Q3 – Name the neighboring countries of China.
Q4 – Which countries fall in the silk route?
Q5 – What is the currency of Italy?
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ANSWERS
A1- Italy.
A2 – Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan.
A3 – Korea (North), Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
A4 – China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia.
A 5 – Euro.