Spain and Portugal were two nations that led the way in exploration and discovery, especially during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Each country had its successes and its failures, and each country had its famous explorers. The focus of this paper is on one particular Portuguese explorer, Prince Henry the Navigator, and the tools and techniques he introduced to his sailors, which revolutionized sailing and furthered exploration more so than anyone else had done up to that point. Although Henry himself never actually set sail on these adventures, "under his direction many important expeditions were undertaken along the west coast of Africa (Encarta)."
Henry was the son of Joao I, the king of Portugal at the time, and was driven to help his father find a faster way to the spice trade in the Far East. The Italians and the Arabs already had strong footholds there, and Henry wanted to ensure that Portugal gained one, too, in order that they might partake of the riches in slaves, spices, and gold to be had there.
The Portuguese are an adventurous people, and Henry knew that if he could just capitalize on this, he could drive his sailors to go farther and do more than anyone else had up to that point. From the Muslims, "[the Portuguese] had learned better ship design, cartography, sailing, and navigation and math skills (European Age of Exploration)." To that end, Henry established an observatory and the first school for navigators in Sagres, Portugal, where he lived. Before the sailors...
Spain As of late 2010, rumors in the financial community persist that Spain is going to be the next Eurozone nation to suffer an economic crisis. Spain's high unemployment rate, coupled with a lack of economic recovery and being unable to adjust interest rates due to its participation in the euro, has resulted in a rapid appreciation of interest rates in Spanish sovereign debt in recent weeks amid speculation in the
grants would also be offered under revitalization measures and for the support of local enterprises either small or medium, and improve the company's access to finances and to credit, giving direct aid to certain investments, etc. (Structural Funds) Cohesion Funds are those granted to those states that are lagging behind in terms of economic development concerning areas like transport and the environment so that their chances of integration into
Galicia, Spain Galicia, according to Wikipedia, is "an autonomous community in northwest Spain." Sometimes called Galiza, Galicia is said to be among the first kingdoms of Europe. It includes the following provinces, Lugo, a Coruna, Ourense, and Pontevedra. To its south is Portugal. Castile and Leon and Asturias are to its east. To its north and west is the Atlantic Ocean. Among tourists, Galicia is famous for "the presence of many
AUTHOR ACCOMPLISHES GOALS? Kamen is able to accomplish his goal. He is able to show -- quite well, in fact -- how the Spanish Empire was a multinational venture for the country. He is able to illustrate how forces worked to effectively help Spain get to where it wanted to be as 'superpower.' For example, with the Muslim activity in the South, Granada would not have fallen; or, without certain bankers,
Portugal 16th Century to Present Portugal Portugal: 16th Century to Present Portugal: 16th Century to Present Portugal is a country a part of the continent of Europe. It is on the western coast of Europe sharing a boundary with Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal's independence and king (now there is a president and a prime minister) received formal recognition since the 12th century AD. The language is Portuguese and the people identify as
France also has a higher education rate than Spain, meaning that its workforce is better equipped to handle complex manufacturing tasks or high-end service roles. This is also evidenced by the percentage of population below the poverty line -- France has much greater human resources than does Spain. Both nations are net users and importers of energy. Neither has strong reserves of fossil fuels and ultimately must import the majority
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