England takes on the sea, beginning to embracing it as part of its life.

Dutch visual arts take on great brilliance in this maritime society. Merchant society exhibits extraordinary skill in buying and selling; process becomes product. Tolerance and diversity characterize society. Why then does this remarkable vitality fade?

Digging further into the Dutch experience, we explore how this small nation could create such a dynamic and sweeping maritime presence.

The Dutch make the world’s first global trading state.

Northwestern Europe seizes oceanic leadership.

Using the World Ocean, Spain creates a global colonial empire.

Portugal builds a global oceanic enterprise.

Iberia makes the Atlantic an inland sea for oceanic Europe.

Peoples on the Indian Ocean were active seafarers. But, did they move beyond their region?

China enjoyed huge success on the continent but failed to encourage exploring the sea.