Definition
Vasco Núñez de Balboa (c. 1475-1519) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He is best known for being the first European to cross the Isthmus of Panama to reach the Pacific Ocean. Balboa claimed the Pacific Ocean and all its shores for Spain. He was a key figure in the early Spanish colonization of the Americas. He was a bold explorer who helped reshape the world map. However, his legacy is also tied to the often brutal history of colonization.