Which countries have played a large role in the development of geographic knowledge?

In different periods of history, there were different countries that contributed to the development of the science of geography.
In ancient times, these were the ancient Greek thinkers: Herodotus, Plato, Eratosthenes.
In the Middle Ages, the arabas and the Chinese made their own contribution, who expanded their geographical knowledge, thanks to the trade of the East, the Mediterranean and Africa.
Since the Renaissance, geography has developed rapidly in Europe. Maritime powers such as Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Holland were actively discovering new lands. The great geographical discoveries took over the period throughout the 15th – 17th centuries.
Russia actively explored the interior regions of the mainland and its coast, thereby confirming the presence of a strait between Asia and America.
The result of I.F. Kruzenshtern’s round-the-world travel was an updated atlas of the world. The result of the expedition of Lazarev and Bellingshausen is the discovery of Antarctica.