ABSTRACT
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt, more commonly known simply as Alexander von Humboldt, is a seminal fi gure in the history of scientifi c exploration, although many in the modern era know relatively little about the man and his numerous achievements. He was born on September 14, 1769, into an aristocratic family in Berlin, Germany. Humboldt was a skilled observer of nature and scientifi c explorer, an expeditionary scientist who was particularly adept at recognizing patterns in the natural world through observation and experimentation. Rather than simply making observations, Humboldt was an accomplished scientist who was meticulous in demanding precise measurements. He usually could be found studying in a fi eld or a desert or on a mountain slope. His expeditions explored many places, including Mexico, Europe, Siberia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and Cuba.
