Viking expansion

Viking expansion was the historical movement, beginning in the 8th century, which led Vikings to sail most of the North Atlantic, reaching south as far as North Africa and east as far as Russia, and through the Mediterranean as far as Constantinople and the Middle East, acting as looters, traders, colonists and mercenaries. To the west, Vikings under Leif Erikson (the heir to Erik the Red) reached North America and set up a short-lived settlement in present-day L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada. Longer lasting and more established Norse settlements were formed in Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Russia, Ukraine, Britain, Ireland, Normandy and Sicily. By the 11th century expansion largely ceased, but many areas were left with populations of Viking descent, integrated into other local populations in various ways. Some Viking descendents formed ruling dynasties or elites, while elsewhere they settled down as farmers.