14. How did a small country like Portugal become a major maritime power?

Portugal's maritime expeditions during the late 1400s set the stage for global exploration and trade, ushering in the Age of Discovery. Facing a shortage of precious metals, Portugal sought wealth overseas, kicking off the Age of Discovery in 1415 with the conquest of Ceuta in North Africa. Prince Henry the Navigator played a key role, establishing a robust investment in Portugal’s naval capabilities. He devoted himself to the development of Portuguese maritime power by pouring resources into improving navigation, cartography and seamanship. His vision and financial backing propelled Portuguese explorers down the West African coast, mapping uncharted territories and securing lucrative trade routes. Portuguese mariners could travel out of sight of land using compass bearings and calculating latitude with the quadrant and astrolabe.former does not contain maps of Australia and New Zealand.

Of all Portugal’s innovations in maritime technology in the fifteenth century, arguably the most outstanding was the spectacular advance made in ship design and construction. The caravel, an ocean-going ship of capacity 8 to 10 tonnes was strong, fast and highly manoeuvrable and able to ride out the heaviest of seas. A second ship, a carrack of 400-500 tonnes was designed with much greater carrying capacity and capable of long ocean voyages. By the late 1500’s Portugal was building carracks capable of carrying 1000 to 2000 tonnes.

After Henry’s death in 1460, Portuguese expeditions continued, largely funded by the trade of ivory, gold dust, and unfortunately, enslaved people. This era saw Portugal emerge as a formidable maritime power, setting the stage for later voyages, including Vasco da Gama’s historic sea route to India.

Currently, Abel Tasman is accepted as the first known European explorer to reach New Zealand in 1642. His expedition departed from Jakarta with the goal to find precious metals and suitable land for settlement. Tasman’s expedition was funded by the Dutch East India Company which has been created in 1602 by the Dutch to gain supremacy in the Asian trading sphere – particularly over the British and the Portuguese. The Dutch had progressively taken over from the Portuguese with a key event being the siege of Malacca, Malaysia in 1641.

Your next read in the series: 15. Portugal was a major global maritime power lasting a century from the late 1400’s.