1. google Azores and some other islands (or Açores in portuguese) 2. steam engines? I would think so, but not sure about that. 3. that's pretty well known, the coast of the southern-west part of Africa is too "calm" for sailing and ships go "around" and try to avoid it. Some say that was the reason south-america was discovered (Brazil) by the Portuguese and they kept a secret from the world (and specially the spaniards), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tordesillas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Zaragoza_%281529%29