Establishment of Portuguese Trading Posts in Africa

Timeline

1. 1461–1465Arguin · MauritaniaThe Arguin trading post, established in 1448, remained Portugal's important northernmost outpost in West Africa in the 1460s; its staff obtained goods transferred via Saharan trade routes by barter, and it served as the northern node of the southward trade network.
2. 1466–1469Gulf of Guinea coast · Gulf of GuineaAs exploration fleets penetrated deeper into the Gulf of Guinea, the Portuguese established seasonal or permanent trading points at river mouths along the coast, negotiating trade permissions with local rulers, acquiring gold, ivory, and slaves, and introducing European manufactured goods.
3. 1469–1470Guinea coast · Gulf of GuineaAfter Fernão Gomes received the monopoly charter for Guinea trade in 1469, driven by commercial profit he added trading posts along newly explored coasts, stationing factors (feitors) to manage trade, warehousing, and shipping, forming a colonial trade chain linking Lisbon–Cape Verde–Guinea.