Portugal could not deploy armies on the scale of larger powers and lacked Britain's industrial depth and protective channel. Its answer was a network of commercial factories and economic hubs rather than blanket territorial occupation. Portuguese navigators had to move reliably around the world and return with cargo. They also selected strategically useful harbors and secured access by negotiation or coercion. Demographic weakness therefore encouraged a lean maritime network instead of preventing empire altogether.
Chapter · 6:10-7:22
Population limits favor ports and factories
Without Britain's population, industry, or insular security, Portugal concentrated on factories, economic hubs, navigation, and exceptionally chosen harbors.