Which region was reached by Portuguese explorers as part of the empire's early expansion?

• A. Western India
• B. Egypt
• C. Japan
• D. Brazil

Answer: (A)

Portuguese expansion aimed to control the spice trade by finding direct sea routes to Asia and then establishing bases along the Indian Ocean. After sailing around Africa, they reached the western coast of India and quickly set up forts and trading posts there, turning places like Cochin and Goa into key hubs. This western Indian region became the core area where early Portuguese influence and trade networks in Asia were built, making Western India the correct answer. Egypt and Japan were not the focus of the initial sea-based expansion, and Brazil represents a later phase of Portuguese expansion across the Atlantic rather than the early Indian Ocean push.