Little Portugal Fills Big Shoes Essay - 1728 Words

Lying west of Spain and East of the North Atlantic Ocean is a small country no bigger than the state of Indiana (World Factbook). Portugal, this mistakenly insignificant land, quickly made an impression on European exploration beginning in the early thirteenth century. It was not long before neighboring areas looked to this successful country for tactics concerning discovery. But exactly how did this small piece of land with few inhabitants manage to stand above its competition for quite some time? Portuguese motives, leaders, tactics, and innovations must be further examined in order to fully comprehend just how the Portuguese dominated early trade and exploration. Due to these three aspects, Portugal became the country that all†¦show more content†¦Beginning with Prince Henry, the Portuguese were led by men with high hopes. With a school established at Cape St. Vincent, Prince Henry educated many on aspects concerning his goal, successful exploration (Sterling 2). Kno wn as the Navigator, Prince Henry, disregarded the previous Ptolemaic beliefs and strived to reach lands that nobody else thought existed (Hale 102). He was the first to send men on voyages down the West African Coast, and gold and slaves were the outcome of his courageous move. The posts that were established as a result of exploration led to the hope for further progress, and Prince Henry’s successful start was only just a glimpse of all that was achieved by those that followed. After the death of Prince Henry, King John II continued the search for new lands; the East African Coast and Indian Ocean were reached when Portuguese mariner, Bartholomeu Diaz, rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Soon after, Prince Henry’s dream to discover a water route to India quickly became a reality when Vasco Da Gama completed a successful round trip. In the Indian port, he was able to interact with the people and set up permanent posts that would become extremely useful. Control rema ined throughout the Indian Ocean due to the commander of Portuguese forces, Afonso D’Alboquerque. He hoped to obtain naval superiority by utilizing strict policy on the waters by forcing allShow MoreRelatedNike Report13324 Words   |  54 Pagesin 2002, whereas spending on non-retro styles fell about 2.0% (Standard Poor’s, 2004). Demand is driven by fashion and demographics. The profitability of individual companies depend on their ability to design and market attractive shoe models. Big companies have economies of scale in distribution and marketing. Small companies can compete successfully through superior design or marketing (Hoovers, 2007). 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