The beginnings of the Age of Exploration in Portugal The major voyages of exploration The life of Christopher Columbus
The early Portuguese voyages of exploration PORTUGAL
Lisbon Sagres
Azores
Canary Islands
Cape Bojador
Cape Verde Islands
SLAVE COAST IVORY COAST
AFRICA GOLD COAST Equator Malindi
INDIAN OCEAN
Sofala
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Orange River KEY Cape of Good Hope
Bartolomeu Dias Vasco da Gama
Early Portuguese voyages around Africa
The fi rst major voyages of discovery set out from Portugal in the 1400s. Portugal was ideally located on the edge of Europe and close to Africa. Its kings wanted to fi nd new trade routes that could make Portugal rich enough to protect itself from its more powerful neighbours, especially Spain.
Having driven Portugal’s Muslims out in the early fi fteenth century, the Portuguese attacked the Muslim states in North Africa and along the African Atlantic coast. Returning soldiers told stories of fabulously wealthy states further south. In response, Prince Henry the Navigator set up a school of navigation at Sagres, which brought together cartographers, instrument- makers, astronomers and experienced sailors. The Portuguese focused on exploring the African coast to try to fi nd a way around Africa to Asia.
• Over the following decades they discovered the Azores, the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands and rounded the Gold Coast (modern-day Sierra Leone). They set up bases all along the coast to trade with the native peoples for gold and slaves.
