Final answer:
Portugal gained immense wealth and power mainly through exploration, colonization, and cash crops, under the leadership of Prince Henry the Navigator and others who utilized new navigational technologies to explore and trade along the African coast and in India, leading to a maritime empire. Option b. is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Portugal gained immense wealth and power primarily through exploration, colonization, and cash crops. Under the guidance of figures such as Prince Henry the Navigator, Portugal became a leader in the Age of Discovery by exploiting its geographical location near the Atlantic coast and advancements in navigational technology like the compass, astrolabe, and caravel. Portuguese explorers established trading ports in West Africa and India, engaging in the trade of gold, ivory, and enslaved people, and they leveraged the wealth of Africa by establishing citadels like the fortress of Elmina.
Portuguese exploration further intensified following the Treaty of Tordesillas and the Treaty of Zaragosa, which divided the Earth into zones of influence between Portugal and Spain. This allowed Portugal to consolidate its power in Africa and Asia without direct competition from Spain, also enabling it to focus on its maritime empire that included territories and trade routes around Africa and into Asia. Portugal initiated the Age of Discovery, which ultimately transformed it into a maritime superpower with substantial economic and political influence.