Portugal had many great explorations in the past. First of all, the king of Portugal, Manuel, sponsored many great discoveries. Prince Henry of Portugal was given command of the port of Ceuta (N Morroco) and it’s ships. They used these ships to explore the West Coast of Africa, and he paid for numerous expeditions that eventually reached Sierra Leone on Africa’s northwest coast. Later kings of Portugal financed expeditions that rounded the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa. Portugal became immensely rich and powerful through its control of trade in this area. Another explorer was Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer and navigator, who was the first European to reach India by a sea route. Da Gama was born in Sines, Alemtejo (now Baixo Alentejo). In 1497 he began a voyage to reach India by sea. He rounded the Cape of Good Hope and anchored at Malindi on the East Coast of Africa. Da Gama then directed his course eastward and on May 20, 1498, reached Calicut on the Malabar Coast of India. Because of the hostility of Muslim merchants, he could not establish a Portuguese trading station there. After fighting his way out of the harbor of Calicut, he returned to Portugal in 1499. Interview with Pedro Alvares CabralMe: In 1500, when you were appointed commander of a trading expedition, where was it? Cabral: It was to India Me: Where did you intend to proceed? Cabral: We intended to proceed around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa Me: And did you get there as planned?Cabral: We intended to, but the winds and currents drove our vessels westward.Me: Well where did that lead you to then?Cabral: Well, in April we reached the state of Bahia, Brazil and claimed it for Portugal.Me: Congratulations on that. Where did you sail to next?Cabral: We then sailed eastward and reached Calicut, India, where I established a trading post....