Why did Columbus believe he had reached Asia when he had actually traveled less than halfway there?

Question

Responses

There was no accurate way to determine latitude.
There was no accurate way to determine latitude.

The compass had not been invented yet.
The compass had not been invented yet.

He met people who spoke Chinese.
He met people who spoke Chinese.

Columbus believed the Earth was smaller than it actually was.

Answer 1

Columbus believed he had reached Asia because he underestimated the size of the Earth. He thought that by sailing westward, he would reach Asia much sooner than he actually would have. His miscalculations led him to believe he was in the East Indies when he arrived in the Caribbean, rather than realizing he had encountered a completely unknown continent (the Americas). Thus, the correct response is:

Columbus believed the Earth was smaller than it actually was.