The Portuguese Empire expanded through fortified ports, trade routes, and slavery across Africa, Brazil, and Asia, combining economic extraction with religious authority. Slavery played a crucial role in generating wealth through African labor on plantations and markets. Today, Portugal remains a key hub in global trade networks through digital infrastructure, while former colonies like Mozambique still bear the legacy of extractive economic structures. The Portuguese model of power, focused on controlling circulation rather than territory, continues to shape modern patterns of inequality.
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