Final answer:
Vasco da Gama was the Portuguese explorer who helped establish trade routes from West Africa to the Cape of Good Hope and onwards to the Far East. His 1497-1498 voyage to India allowed Portugal to participate in the lucrative spice trade and establish a sea empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual who helped Portugal establish trade routes from West Africa to the Cape of Good Hope and beyond to the Far East was Vasco da Gama. He was a pioneering Portuguese explorer whose expeditions built upon the achievements of earlier mariners such as Bartolomeu Dias, who was the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. Vasco da Gama's successful voyage to India in 1497-1498 marked a critical moment in history, opening up direct maritime trade with Asia and establishing a new era of global commerce under Portuguese influence.
This foundational accomplishment enabled the Portuguese to conquer coastal East African city-states, establish colonies such as Angola and Mozambique, and participate in trade that included the notorious slave trade. Portugal's advancements in exploration were largely supported by Prince Henry the Navigator, who fostered the growth of Portugal's trade empire in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Ultimately, the Portuguese established a powerful sea empire that controlled key parts of the maritime routes and dominated the spice trade for years to come.