Ibn Battuta vs James Cook

How do Ibn Battuta and James Cook compare? Here is a side-by-side look at their lives, achievements and historical impact.

Ibn Battuta James Cook
Lifespan 1304 – 1369 1728 – 1779
Born Tangier, Morocco Marton, Yorkshire, England
Occupation Explorer, Traveller, Scholar Explorer, Navigator, Cartographer
Known for The Rihla, Travels across the Islamic world, Journey to China Mapping New Zealand and eastern Australia, Three Pacific voyages, European charting of Hawaii, Crossing the Antarctic Circle
Fields
Influence score 78/100 84/100

Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan scholar and traveller of the 14th century who journeyed some 75,000 miles across Africa, the Middle East, India, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and China — one of the greatest travellers of the pre-modern world.

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James Cook

James Cook was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer whose three Pacific voyages charted New Zealand, the eastern coast of Australia and many Pacific islands with unprecedented accuracy.

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