Theories of trade and navigation

Theories of trade and navigation explore why and how people, goods, and ideas move between places. Trade theories, like Mercantilism and Comparative Advantage, explain economic benefits of exchanging goods, emphasizing profitability and efficiency. Navigation theories examine how explorers and sailors planned routes, considering factors like winds, currents, and technology, to reach new lands or improve travel. These theories help us understand the development of trade routes, such as the Silk Road or sea routes during the Age of Exploration, shaping global commerce and cultural exchange. They combine economic motives with practical navigation methods to explain historical and modern patterns of movement.