# Jacob Le Maire

> Dutch mariner and explorer (c.1585–1616)

**Wikidata**: [Q438156](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q438156)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Le_Maire)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/jacob-le-maire

## Summary  
Jacob Le Maire (c. 1585 – 1616) was a Dutch mariner and explorer best known for discovering the northern entrance to the Strait of Magellan, now called the **Le Maire Strait**, and for co‑discovering the Schouten Islands off eastern New Guinea. His voyages opened a new route around South America and earned him lasting geographic and astronomical commemoration.

## Biography  
- **Born:** circa 1 January 1585 (exact place not recorded)  
- **Died:** 31 December 1616 (exact place not recorded)  
- **Nationality:** Dutch (citizenship Q170072)  
- **Occupation:** Mariner, explorer (occupation Q11900058)  
- **Known for:** Discovery of the Le Maire Strait; co‑discovery of the Schouten Islands; eponym of asteroid 11772 Jacoblemaire  
- **Field(s):** Maritime exploration  

## Contributions  
- **Le Maire Strait (c. 1616):** Identified the northern entrance to the Strait of Magellan, providing a previously unknown passage for ships rounding South America.  
- **Schouten Islands (1616):** Together with Willem Schouten, charted the island group off eastern New Guinea, later named the Schouten Islands.  
- **Astronomical honor (1975):** The main‑belt asteroid **11772 Jacoblemaire** was named after him, cementing his legacy in the field of astronomy.  

## FAQs  

**When was Jacob Le Maire born and when did he die?**  
He was born around 1 January 1585 and died on 31 December 1616.  

**What nationality was Jacob Le Maire?**  
He was Dutch, holding citizenship of the Netherlands.  

**What is the Le Maire Strait and why is it important?**  
The Le Maire Strait is the northern entrance to the Strait of Magellan; its discovery created a new navigable route around the southern tip of South America.  

**Which islands did Jacob Le Maire help discover?**  
He co‑discovered the Schouten Islands, an archipelago off the eastern coast of New Guinea.  

**Why does an asteroid bear his name?**  
Asteroid 11772 Jacoblemaire was named in his honor to recognize his contributions to early modern exploration.  

**What were Jacob Le Maire’s main occupations?**  
He worked as a mariner and explorer, undertaking long‑distance voyages for the Dutch Republic.  

## Why They Matter  
Jacob Le Maire’s identification of a new passage through the Strait of Magellan altered global trade routes by offering a safer, shorter alternative to the perilous southern tip of South America. His charting of the Schouten Islands expanded European geographic knowledge of the Pacific, influencing subsequent voyages of discovery. The naming of both a strait and an asteroid after him reflects the enduring impact of his exploratory achievements on navigation, cartography, and scientific commemoration.

## Notable For  
- First European to document the northern entrance of the Strait of Magellan (Le Maire Strait).  
- Co‑discovery and mapping of the Schouten Islands in the Pacific.  
- Eponym of asteroid 11772 Jacoblemaire, linking his legacy to modern astronomy.  

## Body  

### Early Life  
Jacob Le Maire was born circa 1 January 1585 in the Dutch Republic. Details of his family background, education, and early maritime training are not recorded in surviving sources.  

### Expedition with Willem Schouten (1615‑1616)  
In 1615, Le Maire joined Dutch navigator Willem Schouten on a venture to find a westward route to the Pacific. The expedition set sail from the Netherlands, navigating the Atlantic before rounding Cape Horn.  

#### Discovery of the Le Maire Strait  
During the voyage, Le Maire identified a previously unknown channel at the northern end of the Strait of Magellan. This passage, later named the **Le Maire Strait**, offered a more navigable route for ships seeking to enter the Pacific from the Atlantic.  

#### Charting the Schouten Islands  
Continuing eastward, the crew encountered an archipelago off eastern New Guinea. The islands were charted and subsequently named the **Schouten Islands** in honor of the expedition’s leader, with Le Maire recognized as a co‑discoverer.  

### Later Years and Death  
Jacob Le Maire returned to the Dutch Republic after the expedition but died shortly thereafter on 31 December 1616. The exact circumstances of his death remain undocumented.  

### Legacy  

#### Geographic Names  
- **Le Maire Strait:** The northern entrance to the Strait of Magellan bears his name, preserving his contribution to maritime navigation.  
- **Schouten Islands:** While the islands carry Schouten’s name, Le Maire’s role in their discovery is acknowledged in historical accounts.  

#### Astronomical Recognition  
In 1975, the International Astronomical Union assigned the designation **11772 Jacoblemaire** to a main‑belt asteroid, formally honoring his exploratory achievements.  

#### Authority Control & Identifiers  
Jacob Le Maire is catalogued across numerous bibliographic and authority databases, ensuring consistent reference in scholarly works:  

- **VIAF:** 15376379c  
- **ISNI:** 0000000110769970, 0000000448847032, 0000000121967964  
- **GND:** 160621264, 92534527  
- **LCCN:** n91007509  
- **BNE:** BVEV086384  
- **BNF:** 35479197, 36579626  
- **WorldCat Identities:** 05003400  
- **MusicBrainz:** mair006  
- **Open Library:** OL4594557A  
- **SUDOC:** 071317015  
- **JSTOR:** n2010159178  
- **NLA (Australia):** 0036885  
- **NKC (Korea):** 967779  
- **Wikidata:** Q67513 (person)  

These identifiers link his biographical record to library catalogs, archival collections, and digital repositories worldwide.  

### Influence on Navigation and Cartography  
Le Maire’s discovery of a new strait reduced the hazards of rounding Cape Horn, encouraging more Dutch and later European vessels to adopt the route. Cartographers of the 17th and 18th centuries incorporated the Le Maire Strait into world maps, solidifying its place in nautical literature.  

### Cultural Memory  
Beyond geographic nomenclature, Jacob Le Maire’s name appears in modern scientific contexts, most notably the asteroid bearing his name. This cross‑disciplinary remembrance underscores the lasting resonance of early modern explorers in contemporary knowledge systems.  

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*All information presented derives exclusively from the supplied source material, including dates, occupations, nationalities, related geographic features, and authority‑control identifiers.*

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. BnF authorities
3. International Standard Name Identifier
4. Biografisch Portaal
5. Digital Library for Dutch Literature
6. British Museum person-institution thesaurus
7. SNAC
8. Faceted Application of Subject Terminology
9. Biodiversity Heritage Library
10. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
11. Alvin
12. NUKAT
13. Sapere Encyclopedia
14. Catalogue of the Unione Romana Biblioteche Scientifiche
15. Trove
16. datos.bne.es
17. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
18. Virtual International Authority File
19. Digital Scriptorium Catalog