ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Evolution of the Portuguese Empire

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, the Portuguese people wanted to explore the world and find new places to trade and make money. They started building boats and sailing far away from home to places they had never been before.

One day, a man named Vasco da Gama discovered a new route to India, which was very very far away. He was able to find new spices and goods that people in Portugal had never tasted before. This made Portugal very rich and powerful.

As time went on, Portugal explored more and more places around the world, like Brazil and Africa. They set up colonies in these places and brought Portugal's way of life with them. This meant that they taught people in these colonies how to speak Portuguese, and how to live their lives like the people in Portugal did.

However, not everyone was happy with Portugal taking over their lands. Some people in the colonies revolted against the Portuguese rule and fought for their independence. They wanted to govern themselves and make their own decisions.

Over time, Portugal's power started to decline, and they lost control of some of their colonies. They eventually became too weak to maintain their empire, and other countries began to take over their territories.

But the influence of the Portuguese Empire can still be seen today in the cultures and languages of places like Brazil and Mozambique. And that's the story of how the Portuguese Empire grew and eventually declined.