List of French explorers

The following is a list of French people known as explorers.

Before 1500

• Jean de Béthencourt (Canary Islands)
• Gadifer de la Salle (Canary Islands)

16th century

• Thomas Aubert (Newfoundland)
• Jacques Cartier (North America)
• Philippe de Corguilleray (Brazil)
• Joseph de La Roche Daillon (North America)
• François Le Grout du Closneuf (Indian Ocean)
• Jean Ribault (North America)

17th century

• Michel Aco (Mississippi River)
• Philippe Avril (Near East, Russia)
• Jean Barbot (West Africa)
• Nicolas Barré (Brazil)
• Augustin de Beaulieu (Sumatra)
• Étienne Brûlé (North America)
• François Caron (Indonesia, Japan)
• François Cauche (Indian Ocean, Madagascar)
• René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (North America)
• Samuel de Champlain (North America)
• Jean Chardin (Iran, India)
• Daniel de la Rivardière (South America)
• Simon François Daumont de Saint-Lusson (North America)
• Nicolas Denys (North America)
• Sieur Dubois (Indian Ocean, Madagascar, Réunion)
• Médard Chouart des Groseilliers (North America)
• Henri Joutel (North America)
• François de La Boullaye-Le Gouz (Iran)
• Jacques Marquette (North America)
• Jean Nicolet (North America)

18th century

• Jeanne Baré (circumnavigation)
• Nicolas Baudin (Indian Ocean, Australia)
• Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe (North America)
• Louis Blanchette (North America)
• Joseph Hugues Boissieu La Martinière (Pacific Ocean)
• Louis Antoine de Bougainville (circumnavigation)
• Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont (North America)
• Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux (Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean)
• Pierre Carré de Luzançay (Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean)
• Pierre Céloron de Blainville (North America)
• Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu (oceans, New Guinea)
• Philibert Commerson (circumnavigation, Indian Ocean)
• Victor de Compiègne (Central Africa)
• Julien Crozet (Indian Ocean, Antarctic)
• Joachim Darquistade (South America)
• Michel Dubocage (Pacific Ocean)
• Abraham Duquesne-Guitton (Australia)
• Louis Feuillée (Antilles, South America)
• Paul Antoine Fleuriot de Langle (Pacific Ocean)
• Alexandre d'Hesmivy d'Auribeau (Pacific Ocean)
• Louis de l'Isle (Siberia, North America)
• Jean Gilbert Nicomède Jaime (West Africa)
• Charles Marie de La Condamine (South America)
• Charles Joseph Lambert (Egypt, Sudan)
• Jean-François de La Pérouse (Pacific Ocean)
• Francis de Laporte de Castelnau (South America)
• Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz (North America)
• Lazare Picault (Indian Ocean)
• Jean-François-Marie de Surville (Pacific Ocean)

19th century

• Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie (Ethiopia)
• Alexandre d'Albéca (Bénin)
• Jacques Arago (circumnavigation)
• Léonie d'Aunet (Spitsbergen)
• Francis Barrallier (Australia)
• Paul Du Chaillu (Central Africa, Scandinavia)
• Ferdinand de Béhagle (Central Africa)
• Joseph René Bellot (Arctic)
• Paul Blanchet (Sahara)
• Jules de Blosseville (Arctic)
• Charles Eudes Bonin (East Asia)
• Aimé Bonpland (South America)
• Gabriel Bonvalot (Central Asia, Tibet)
• Ismaël Bou Derba (Sahara)
• Édouard Bouët-Willaumez (West Africa)
• Jules Braouezec (West Africa, Central Africa)
• René Caillié (West Africa)
• Frédéric Cailliaud (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia)
• Ernest Carette (Algeria)
• Edmond Caron (West Africa)
• Jean Chaffanjon (South America, Central Asia)
• Camille de Roquefeuil (circumnavigation, Pacific Ocean)
• Désiré Charnay (Mexico)
• Alfred Le Chatelier (Africa)
• Henri Coudreau (South America)
• Paul Crampel (Central Africa)
• Jules Crevaux (South America)
• Armand David (East Asia)
• Louis Delaporte (Southeast Asia)
• Georges Destenave (West Africa, Central Africa)
• Ernest Doudart de Lagrée (Southeast Asia)
• Francis Garnier (Southeast Asia)
• Pierre-Médard Diard (Southeast Asia)
• Albert Dolisie (Central Africa)
• Ernest Doudart de Lagrée (Southeast Asia)
• Camille Douls (North Africa)
• Jean Duchesne-Fournet (Ethiopia)
• Jules Dumont d'Urville (Pacific Ocean, Antarctic)
• Louis Isidore Duperrey (Pacific Ocean)
• Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars (Pacific Ocean)
• Paul Flatters (Sahara)
• Charles de Foucauld (North Africa)
• Fernand Foureau (Africa)
• Alfred Fourneau (Central Africa)
• Louis de Freycinet (Pacific Ocean)
• Joseph Paul Gaimard (Arctic)
• Émile Gentil (Central Africa)
• Henri Grout de Beaufort (West Africa)
• Charles Guillain (East Africa, Indian Ocean)
• Jules Harmand (Southeast Asia)
• Xavier Hommaire de Hell (Russia, Iran)
• Évariste Huc (China, Mongolia)
• François-Joseph-Amédée Lamy (Africa)
• Jean-Baptiste Marchand (Africa)
• Parfait-Louis Monteil (Africa)
• Joseph Nicollet (North America)
• Auguste Pavie (Southeast Asia)

20th century

• Jean Alt (Antarctica)
• Louis Audouin-Dubreuil (Sahara)
• Louis Brusset (Sahara)
• Jean-Baptiste Charcot (Arctic, Antarctic)
• Norbert Casteret (Caves)
• Pierre Chevalier (caver) (Caves)
• Raymond Coche (Sahara)
• Alexandra David-Néel (East Asia)
• Jean-Louis Étienne (Arctic, Antarctic)
• Bertrand Flornoy (South America)
• Édouard-Alfred Martel (Caves)
• Théodore Monod (Sahara)
• Paul Pelliot (Central Asia)

• Haroun Tazieff (Volcanos and caves)
• Paul-Émile Victor (Arctic, Antarctic)

See also

• List of explorers