Which country won the race of exploration

Portugal.

Explanation:

If we consider the initial phase of European geographical discovery, then we can conclude that Portugal was the winner. We can conclude by simple analysis. Namely, the greatest sailors were the Portuguese, and they discovered the most. In this context, we will mention only a few names: Fernando Magellan, Vasco de Gama, Pedro Alvares Carabal. Apart from Portugal, Spain also played a very important role. The geographical discovery was followed by colonization, where Great Britain, France, and Spain were dominant.