How did the Portuguese empire differ from the Spanish Empire?

Similar: imposing their will on Native Americans by force, using slave labor, developing new, blended cultures. Differ- ent: Spain’s empire included mineral wealth, while Portugal’s American empire relied on agriculture, cattle, and timber.

How did Portuguese expansion differ from Spanish expansion?

There were differences between Spain and Portugal, the former being more military-orientated and the latter having a greater naval focus, “dominating the sea lanes in the Indian Ocean for the rest of the century[24]”.

Was the Spanish empire the biggest?

The Spanish Empire covered 7.72 million square miles of land – more than 13\% of the earth’s landmass. The empire had 68.2 million people between 1740 and 1790 — about 12\% of the world’s population. Spain’s empire began in the days of Columbus and lasted, in parts of Africa, until the latter 20th century.

What happened to the Portuguese Empire?

Fall. The Portuguese Empire, like the British, French and German empires, was fatally damaged by the two world wars fought in the 20th century. These European powers were pressured by the Soviet Union and the United States and by independence movements inside the colonial territories.

Was the Portuguese Empire powerful?

One of the most powerful of the European colonial empires, the Portuguese Empire was ruled by an absolute monarch. The empire included colonies in coastal Africa, India, Indonesia, China, the Middle East, and South America.

Why were the Portuguese and Spanish first explored?

Their goals were to expand Catholicism and to gain a commercial advantage over Portugal. To those ends, Ferdinand and Isabella sponsored extensive Atlantic exploration. The Spanish monarchs knew that Portuguese mariners had reached the southern tip of Africa and sailed the Indian Ocean.

Why did the Spanish and Portuguese decide to colonize the New World?

The Spanish established the first European settlements in the Americas, beginning in the Caribbean and, by 1600, extending throughout Central and South America. Thousands of Spaniards flocked to the Americas seeking wealth and status. During the fifteenth century, Spain hoped to gain advantage over its rival, Portugal.

How were Spanish and Portuguese colonies similar?

They both tried to convert people to Christianity. They both traded and enslaved natives. They relied on trade and slavery. Different: Spain’s empire had mineral wealth while Portugal relied on agriculture and cattle.

What is the largest empire ever?

The Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire existed during the 13th and 14th centuries and it is recognized as being the largest contiguous land empire in history.