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Historic Sites of the Portuguese Colonial Expansion
(1415-1663)
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About the Portuguese Colonial Expansion
Portuguese Colonial Expansion (1415–1663) encompassed the creation and defense of an overseas empire beginning with the capture of Ceuta. Portugal combined maritime warfare, fortified trading posts, settlement, and coercive labor systems to establish territories and commercial networks across Africa, Asia, and Brazil. Resistance from local powers and competition with other European states repeatedly challenged its holdings.
Geography of the Portuguese Colonial Expansion
Expansion began in North Africa and extended along the Atlantic coasts of Africa, through island bases, and across the ocean to Brazil. After rounding southern Africa, Portuguese fleets established positions along the East African coast and in the Persian Gulf, India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Goa and Malacca became major centers within a network extending toward China. Ocean currents, straits, and fortified harbors mattered as much as inland territory in connecting these scattered possessions.
Arad Fort
Road 4229, Muharraq, Muharraq, 210, Bahrain
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Map of Historic Sites of the Portuguese Colonial Expansion