Conquistadors (from
Portuguese or Spanish
conquistadores "conquerors"; , , ) 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 conquistadores 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.