The Spaniards and Portuguese were both maritime superpowers that left their mark on history between the 14th and 16th centuries. Spain and Portugal shared a common location on the Iberian Peninsula and both had free access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. This gave them an advantage in developing maritime interests and establishing new trade routes. Many geographical discoveries and conquests, as well as much bloodshed, can be traced to these two once-colonial empires. Although the Spanish and Portuguese both had intentions of conquering the sea, they focused on different areas, but they had common reasons to expand and used similar methods to achieve their goals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay One difference between the Spanish and the Portuguese is the place of conquest. The Spanish moved westward and, in addition to colonies in the Philippines, focused primarily on expansion into the Americas. For example, in 1521, Spain officially took control of the Aztec empire and in 1533 conquered the Incas. Both empires were located in South America. On the other hand, Portugal moved eastward and remained mostly attached to the Indian Ocean basin. Portugal conquered Ceuta on the Moroccan coast of North Africa in 1415. Additionally, in 1484, Portugal conquered the Angola region as their colony and claimed Brazil in 1500. Although both Spain and Portugal wanted to expand their lands, they focused on conquering different areas, which was beneficial to both nations because it helped them avoid conflict. Spain and Portugal, although they conquered different parts of the world, had similar reasons for conquest. . Each of them wanted glory, wealth and proselytism. Both nations were initially motivated by the desire to find an alternative route to India and gain control from the Muslims to expand their influence. Both developed their own navy and sponsored numerous voyages that led to the discovery of the New World. This brought national glory to the countries and personal fame to the individual explorers. Between 1450 and 1500, Portuguese expeditions led by Dias and then da Gama sailed along the coast of Africa to India. The Spanish sponsored the four voyages of Christopher Columbus from 1492 to 1504. This opened the door to the colonization and conquest of the Caribbean islands and territories of South America. After these voyages they not only discovered, but also conquered new territories and founded colonies. These new territories and colonies were exploited to generate wealth. Examples of wealth generated by conquest for the Portuguese include the slave trade from Africa and the plantations and mines found in Brazil. Spanish wealth came from the Potosi mine in upper Peru and from plantations in the Caribbean. In their colonies, both Spain and Portugal imposed their culture and religion on the natives. This influence persists to this day in many areas of the world. Another important similarity that Spain and Portugal share is their methods of conquest. Both managed to conquer new territories using violent methods, more advanced technologies and bringing diseases that killed the natives due to their lack of immunity. An example of how the Portuguese used violence is found in an expedition led by Cabral in 1500. During the expedition, the city of Cochin, India was bombed and 400 to 500 people were killed and much property was destroyed. The Spanish showed violence when they conquered the Aztecs and Incas. The Spanish massacred many Aztec leaders.