Why did the Portuguese explore the west coast of Africa?

Why did the Portuguese explore the west coast of Africa?

Portuguese expansion into Africa began with the desire of King John I to gain access to the gold-producing areas of West Africa. In this way, the Portuguese diverted the trade in gold and slaves away from the trans-Saharan routes causing their decline and increased their own status as a powerful trading nation.

Who supported Portuguese exploration?

In a shifting series of alliances, the Portuguese dominated much of the southern Persian Gulf for the next hundred years. A Portuguese explorer funded by the Spanish Crown, Ferdinand Magellan, organized the Castilian (Spanish) expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522.

Who explored the coast of Africa for Portugal?

Henry the Navigator
In the early 1400s, Prince Henry of Portugal, known as Henry the Navigator, sent ships south along the African coast looking for a way around the continent. During his lifetime, his captains explored the coastline as far as modern Sierra Leone, about halfway southward along the continent.

Who sponsored Portuguese fleets that sailed along the western coast of Africa?

In 1420, Prince Henry the Navigator sponsored Portuguese fleets that sailed across the western coast of Africa.

What were the results of the Portuguese explorations of Africa?

What were the results of the Portuguese explorations of Africa? The Portuguese sent up trading posts for gold and slaves. Slavery disrupted African communities and inhibited the expression of regional African cultures and tribal identities.

Why did the Portuguese want to explore West Africa?

Portuguese Explorations and West Africa Motivated by the desire for new markets and an ongoing opposition to the Muslims, Portuguese sailors had begun to explore the West African coast in the first half of the fifteenth century.

What did the Portuguese do during the age of discovery?

A Portuguese explorer and one of the most famous and celebrated explorers from the Age of Discovery; the first European to reach India by sea. Portuguese sailors were at the vanguard of European overseas exploration, discovering and mapping the coasts of Africa, Asia, and Brazil.

When did Vasco da Gama start his exploration?

Compare the Portuguese Atlantic explorations from 1415-1488 with the Indian Exploration, led by Vasco da Gama from 1497-1542 Portuguese sailors were at the vanguard of European overseas exploration, discovering and mapping the coasts of Africa, Asia, and Brazil.

Who was the Portuguese navigator who sailed around the Cape of Good Hope?

After several decades of Portuguese expeditions venturing southwards along western Africa’s coastlines, Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias famously sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, opening up European access to the Indian Ocean.

Portuguese Exploration. By the 1400s, Portuguese sailors, backed by Prince Henry the Navigator, began exploring the West coast of Africa looking for a mythical Christian king named Prester John and a way to the wealth of Asia that avoided the Ottomans and the powerful empires of South West Asia.

Who was the first European explorer to explore Africa?

Early Portuguese expeditions. Portuguese explorer Prince Henry, known as the Navigator, was the first European to methodically explore Africa and the oceanic route to the Indies. From his residence in the Algarve region of southern Portugal, he directed successive expeditions to circumnavigate Africa and reach India.

When was the first European Atlas of Africa created?

The Catalan Atlas, created in 1375, which includes many African coastal cities, the Nile River, and other political and geographical features, shows how much Europe knew about North and West Africa.

Why did Europeans want to know more about Africa?

In the late 1700s, a group of British men, inspired by the Enlightenment ideal of learning, decided that Europe should know much more about Africa. They formed the African Association in 1788 to sponsor expeditions to the continent.