# 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)
* 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 de Surville (Pacific Ocean)

## 19th century

* Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie (Ethiopia)
* Alexandre d'Albéca (Bénin)
* Jacques Arago (circumnavigation)
* Léonie d'Aunet (Spitsbergen)
* Charles Babin (Iran)
* Francis Barrallier (Australia)
* 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)
* Frédéric Cailliaud (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia)
* René Caillié (West Africa)
* Ernest Carette (Algeria)
* Edmond Caron (West Africa)
* Jean Chaffanjon (South America, Central Asia)
* Paul Du Chaillu (Central Africa, Scandinavia)
* Désiré Charnay (Mexico)
* Alfred Le Chatelier (Africa)
* Victor de Compiègne (Central 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)
* Auguste Duhaut-Cilly (Canary Islands, California)
* 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)
* Camille de Roquefeuil (circumnavigation, Pacific Ocean)
* 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)
* Raymond Maufrais (South America)
* Théodore Monod (Sahara)
* Paul Pelliot (Central Asia)
* Haroun Tazieff (Volcanos and caves)
* Paul-Émile Victor (Arctic, Antarctic)