Christopher Columbus (Italian: Cristoforo Colombo; Portuguese: Cristóvão Colombo, formerly Christovam Colon; Spanish: Cristóbal Colón; Catalan: Cristòfor Colom; c. 1451-May 20, 1506) was a navigator and an admiral for the Crown of Castile. His voyages to the Americas began a European effort at exploration and colonization of the continent. While history places great significance on his first voyage of 1492, he did not actually reach the mainland until his third voyage in 1498. Likewise, he was not the earliest European explorer to reach the Americas, as there are accounts of European transatlantic contact prior to 1492. Nevertheless, Columbus' voyage came at a critical time of growing national imperialism and economic competition between developing nation states seeking wealth from the establishment of trade routes and colonies. Therefore, the period before 1492 is known as Pre-Columbian, and the anniversary of this event (vd. Columbus Day) is celebrated throughout the Americas and in Spain and Italy. However, as the legacy of colonialism in the Americas is today viewed somewhat more negatively than in the past, Columbus has become a divisive figure.
The identity of Columbus is still unknown for certain, although it is most widely accepted that he was of Italian ancestry since he maintained this ethnicity throughout his life. More specifically he is believed to have been from the Republic of Genoa, in Italy , although it has been surmised he could have been from Catalonia, Spain instead.[2] Certainly there were ties between Spain and the Italian nation-states. (King Ferdinand II of Aragon was also the King of Sicily.) His nationality is still debated, and many theories exist detailing his possible lineage. Aspects such as learned languages and DNA samples are being studied although no definitive answer has yet been revealed.

Cristóvão Colombo (local incerto, c. 1451 — Valladolid, 20 de Maio de 1506) foi um navegador e explorador que alcançou a América em 12 de Outubro de 1492 sob as ordens dos Reis Católicos de Espanha. Crendo que a terra era uma esfera relativamente pequena, empreendeu a sua viagem através do Oceano Atlântico com o objectivo de atingir a Índia, tendo na realidade descoberto as ilhas das Caraíbas (Caribe) e, mais tarde, as costas do Golfo do México na América Central.
Sua origem mais provável é genovesa (embora alguns historiadores e escritores mantenham a teoria que vinha do Reino de Aragão, do Reino de Galiza ou do Reino de Portugal, entre outros). Realmente a sua origem é um enigma, por ter-se perdido muito material, e pelos interesses de vários países em adoptá-lo como filho. A partir de finais do século XIX, e do centenário de 1892, foi considerado natural de Génova. Actualmente, historiadores diversos levantam a hipótese de ele ser português, catalão, basco, galego e mesmo grego, e quase certamente de ascendência judaica. A teoria ainda mais aceita pelos historiadores é que era genovês.[1].
Conhecia as línguas antigas, como latim e hebraico, matemática, cosmografia, geometria e conhecia todos os instrumentos da marinha e a navegação tão bem que era tido como o mais instruído homem do mar em toda a Espanha. Não escrevia italiano, mas sim uma forma aportuguesada do castelhano e comunicava-se directamente com o rei D. João II.