The Portuguese Empire - Maritime discoveries and trade routes

This episode of Empires: Dominance and Legacy explores the Portuguese Empire, a pioneering force in maritime discoveries and global trade. Rising in the 15th century under Prince Henry the Navigator, Portugal led the Age of Exploration, with key milestones including Bartolomeu Dias rounding the Cape of Good Hope and Vasco da Gama establishing a sea route to India. The empire's dominance in spice trade and colonization spanned Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Brazil, claimed in 1500, became its largest colony, central to sugarcane production and the transatlantic slave trade. The Portuguese also established influential outposts in Africa and Asia, like Goa and Malacca, and spread Christianity through missionary efforts. At its height, the empire connected continents through trade and cultural exchange.

However, challenges such as competition from European rivals, economic decline, and the Iberian Union with Spain weakened Portugal’s dominance. Despite losing Brazil in 1822 and enduring eventual decolonization, the empire’s legacy endures. Portuguese remains a globally spoken language, and its cultural and historical contributions shaped the modern world and the age of globalization.

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