ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the overseas Iberian empires’ economic systems and its main trends over the course of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It outlines the type of productive structures dominant in each empire and examines the exchanges and connections within the two Iberian empires, and between the Iberian empires and the rest of the world. The imperial economies of Spain and Portugal laid the foundations for the worldwide economic performance of both monarchies during the early modern era. Spain and Portugal began their imperial enterprise approximately at the same time and were shaped by similar factors. The chapter discusses the motivations for the Iberian overseas expansion and analyses the economic structures of the territories under colonial rule. It deals with the well-known intercontinental routes of Carrera de Indias and Carreira da India, while also examining the role of American silver in global trade.
