What role did competition play in causing the age of exploration

1) educated people of the Middle Ages did NOT think (nor did the Church teach) that the earth was flat!! They had known otherwise for over two millennia! (Opposition to Columbus's plans was based on the belief that the world was LARGER than he thought, and the voyage too far to make safely. In fact, his CRITICS were correct about the earth's size!) 
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Where is the map? it's not showing

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