In the Middle Ages, the Portuguese Empire was unsurpassed in its global exploration. Key to this success was the feitoria. What was this?
Answer: A ‘factory’. This was a fortified trading post established by the Portuguese in areas of importance, such as at Arguin on the African cost. Its brilliance was that the feitoria allowed the Portuguese to establish their presence over large stretches of the globe without the necessity for costly and dangerous adventures amongst indigenous peoples or over unnecessarily vast expanses of land.
Source: The Cambridge History of Latin America by Leslie Bethell
