Which country was a leader in the Age of Discovery with its early explorations around Africa?

Portugal was a leader during the Age of Discovery due to its significant contributions to maritime exploration, particularly along the coasts of Africa. Under the patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese initiated expeditions that sought new trade routes and territories. They developed advanced navigation techniques and technologies, such as the caravel, which allowed for long sea voyages.

Portugal was instrumental in exploring the West African coast, mapping it extensively, and establishing trade routes that connected Europe with Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Notable figures such as Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias were pivotal in these early explorations, with Dias being the first to sail around the Cape of Good Hope and Gama eventually reaching India.

The other countries mentioned also participated in exploration but did not play the pioneering role in the early stages of the Age of Discovery that Portugal did. Spain later became prominent with its conquests in the Americas, England began its overseas endeavors somewhat later, and Italy, while home to significant explorers, particularly focused on trade routes rather than exploration in the same manner as Portugal during this era.