ECONOMICS (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Vasco da Gama was the first European to sail from Europe to India, enabling trade with the Far East. This so-called ‘Route of Spices’ was important for Portugal’s colonial and commercial expansion, becoming a great naval power in the fifteenth century. He made three trips to India from Portugal.

Detailed explanation-2: -As early as 1341, Portuguese sailors had made their first forays into the tempting waters that lay beyond their shores, exploring the Canary Islands off the northwestern coast of Africa.

Detailed explanation-3: -Portugal and Spain Portugal and Spain became the early leaders in the Age of Exploration. Through the Treaty of Tordesillas the two countries agreed to divide up the New World. Spain got most of the Americas while Portugal got Brazil, India, and Asia.