▁only ▁their ▁own ▁immediate ▁environment " ▁( Wh it field ). ▁Jordan ▁Branch ▁and ▁his ▁ad visor , ▁Steven ▁We ber , ▁propose ▁that ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁large ▁kingdom s ▁and ▁nation ▁states ▁of ▁later ▁history ▁are ▁an ▁in ad vert ent ▁by product ▁of ▁ 1 5 th - century ▁adv ances ▁in ▁map - making ▁techn ologies . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁and ▁ 1 6 th ▁centuries , ▁I ber ian ▁powers ▁( K ing dom ▁of ▁Spain ▁and ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Portugal ) ▁were ▁at ▁the ▁v angu ard ▁of ▁European ▁over se as ▁expl oration , ▁discover ing ▁and ▁mapping ▁the ▁coast s ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas , ▁Africa , ▁and ▁Asia , ▁in ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Age ▁of ▁Disc overy ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Age ▁of ▁Ex pl oration ). ▁Spain ▁and ▁Portugal ▁were ▁magnet s ▁for ▁the ▁talent , ▁science ▁and ▁technology ▁from ▁the ▁Italian ▁city - states . ▁ ▁Portugal ' s ▁method ical ▁exped itions ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 4 1 9 ▁along ▁West ▁Africa ' s ▁coast ▁under ▁the ▁spons or ship ▁of ▁Prince ▁Henry ▁the ▁N avigator , ▁with ▁Bart ol ome u ▁D ias ▁reaching ▁the ▁Cape ▁of ▁Good ▁Hope ▁and ▁entering ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁in ▁ 1 4 8 8 . ▁Ten ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 8 , ▁Vas co ▁da ▁G ama ▁led ▁the ▁first ▁fleet ▁around ▁Africa ▁to ▁India , ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁Cal icut ▁and ▁starting ▁a ▁mar