The Spanish Empire in 1600.
« Atlante storico », Geo-Mondadori, 2000
via cartesdhistoire
The Spanish West Indian Empire was centered in the north on the Viceroyalty of New Spain and in the south on the Viceroyalty of Peru. It was enriched with the Philippine Islands from 1565, after the Spaniards discovered routes enabling them to cross the Pacific Ocean. In 1571, the city of Manila was founded there.
From 1546, the Spanish exploited the mines of Potosi (Upper Peru), from which most of the world’s silver was quickly extracted. From 1564, a convoy system of galleons loaded with silver crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reach Spain. In the Pacific, once a year, the Manila Galleon transported silver from the New Spanish port of Acapulco to Manila in the Philippines. It made the return trip from the Philippines to Acapulco, carrying silk, porcelain, and Chinese lacquerware. From the 1590s, the value of this silver crossing the Pacific Ocean equaled all Atlantic trade combined.