Jacques Cartier, a French mariner and explorer, is credited with several important discoveries during his three voyages to North America between 1534 and 1542:
- He was the first European to navigate and map the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River, exploring the river inland as far as what is now Montreal
- Cartier discovered and explored parts of the Atlantic coast of Canada, including the west coast of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence
- He encountered and mapped key Indigenous villages such as Stadacona (near modern Quebec City) and Hochelaga (near modern Montreal)
- Cartier is credited with naming "Canada," deriving it from the Huron-Iroquois word kanata , meaning "village" or "settlement," which he initially used to refer to the area around Quebec City
- His explorations laid the foundation for later French claims to North America and the establishment of New France
- He also attempted to establish a French colony at Charlesbourg-Royal, which was the first known European settlement in modern-day Canada since the Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows
Cartier's voyages were initially commissioned by King Francis I of France to find a passage to Asia and search for gold and spices, but his discoveries primarily contributed to European knowledge of the geography of northeastern North America rather than finding a route to Asia
. In summary, Jacques Cartier discovered and mapped the St. Lawrence River and Gulf, explored parts of the Canadian Atlantic coast, named Canada, and helped lay the groundwork for French colonization in North America
