Portugal begin to explore the coasts of South America and Africa in the 1400s a. to establish trading posts. Portuguese sailors discovered many territories and maritime routes during the 1400s. They were at the vanguard of European overseas explorations and mapping.
The lack of formal states in Africa made gaining cooperation with local officials more difficult. For this reason, Belgium and France established d. systems of indirect rule. Indirect rule is a system of control established by France and Belgium to rule Africa. They ruled through pre-existent indigenous powers and were called protectorates.
