The Portuguese trading empire fall apart by 1500 because Portugal was a small country with few resources.
Portugal was a small country with fewer resources.
The problem was that Portugal had a backward nobility, interest more in personal fame and fortune. Coupled with the growing interests of the Northern countries, which had a much larger population (Portugal was/is really small) and were able to be much more competitive Portugal’s downfall was obvious because of Low Productivity, low population, larger and more powerful neighbors.
