USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Portugal, the western-most European country, was one of the primary players in the European Age of Discovery and Exploration. Under the leadership of Prince Henry the Navigator, Portugal took the principal role during most of the fifteenth century in searching for a route to Asia by sailing south around Africa.

Detailed explanation-2: -Five hundred years ago, Ferdinand Magellan began a historic journey to circumnavigate the globe. Simple, right? Not really-the explorer and his voyage are a study in contradiction. Magellan was Portuguese, but sailed on behalf of Spain.

Detailed explanation-3: -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-4: -The curiosity and expertise of Portuguese mariners like Vasco da Gama resulted in the exploration of new sea routes down the coast of West Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean to India and beyond.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Portuguese were able successfully to navigate the open sea because of the compass, the astrolabe, and the caravel. Under the sponsorship of Prince Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese explored the coast of Africa and later established trading posts up and down the coast of West Africa.