<P> Conquistadors / kɒŋˈkɪstəˌdɔːrz / (from Portuguese or Spanish conquistadores "conquerors"; Spanish pronunciation: (koŋkistaˈðoɾes), Portuguese pronunciation: (kũkiʃtɐˈdoɾis), (kõkiʃtɐˈðoɾɨʃ)) is a term used to refer to the soldiers and explorers of the Spanish Empire or the Portuguese Empire in a general sense . During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, Oceania, Africa and Asia, conquering territory and opening trade routes . They colonized much of the world for Spain and Portugal in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries . </P> <P> Portugal established a route to China in the early 16th century, sending ships via the southern coast of Africa and founding numerous coastal enclaves along the route . Following the' discovery' of the New World in 1492 by Christopher Columbus and the first circumnavigation of the world by Juan Sebastián Elcano and Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 (both voyages promoted by the Spanish Crown of Castile), expeditions led by conquistadors in the 16th century established trading routes linking Europe with all these areas . </P>

Who were the conquistadors and what did they do
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