​Temasek
Build, Expand, Connect.
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Who were the Portuguese and why were they first?
"In the beginning of the 15th century, the country [Portugal] entered a period of peace and stability. Europe was still involved in wars and feudal conflicts which allowed Portugal to be the only capable country to methodically and successfully start the exploration of the Atlantic."
- http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/portuguese_navy
"The Portuguese economy had benefited from its connections with neighbouring Muslim states... A constant exchange of cultural ideals made Portugal a centre of knowledge and technological development. Due to these connections with Islamic kingdoms, many mathematicians and experts in naval technology appeared in Portugal. The Portuguese government impelled this even further by taking full advantage of this and by creating several important research centres in Portugal, where Portuguese and foreign experts made several breakthroughs in the fields of mathematics, cartography and naval technology. Sagres and Lagos in the Algarve become famous as such places."
- The Perspective of the World 1985
"The carrack Santa Catarina do Monte Sinai and other Portuguese Navy' ships in the 16th century."
"Portuguese discoveries and explorations: first arrival places and dates; main Portuguese spice trade routes in the Indian Ocean (blue); territories of the Portuguese empire under King John III rule (1521–1557) (green)"
"The Arrival of the Europeans in the Melaka Straits region in the early sixteenth Century introduced a new factor in the political and economic equation. Unlike the local polities, the ultimate goal of the European powers - at least before the nineteenth Century, was to be engaged in the east-west trade. Goods from Europe and India were carried to the east to be sold in East Asia. In turn, East Asian products were obtained and carried to the west to be sold in India and Europe. The Objective of the European powers was the amassing of East Asian products, ensuring that their respective commercial rivals were unable to do the same."
- Singapore: A 700-Year History (pg 72)