What, in your view, is the latest it's possible to keep the most powerful states of the Western world Mediterranean based, rather than Northern European based? Or is it impossible to do this once the inevitable discovery of the Americas takes place?
Well, that was a lot. I have been mulling over a map or timeline about this lately, though.
The Atlantic powers can do both, though. That's going to be rather handy.
France and Spain certainly can, but if your argument is that England/Britain, or a German power, could do the same then logically a Mediterranean power could also send ships past the Gates of Hercules and across the Atlantic to the Americas.
Its not that Mediterranean-based polities had an exclusive purview in East-West trade, but they would have an advantageous position that favors their strengths there.
England/Britain or a German power can sail around Africa and get to the (East) Indies that way. They don't need to develop a different type of ship.
* Byzantines+Ottomans - they share the same geographical position so when referring to "a power in that part of the world", its my shorthand for "whichever one happens to be around at the time".
The African Loop is the (very) long way. A Mediterranean power, especially one on the Asian shore, could trade more in terms of volume and revenue generated, more rapidly, then the Northern Europeans could ship around Africa if the East-West trade had remained open and free (as per my original comment).
A reconstructed Tāriqu Canal or an 'earlier Suez' means Mediterranean powers based in Italy, the Balkans, North Africa, France, or Spain could also out-compete the (Northern) Europeans in terms of Asian trade.
The African Loop is the (very) long way. A Mediterranean power, especially one on the Asian shore, could trade more in terms of volume and revenue generated, more rapidly, then the Northern Europeans could ship around Africa if the East-West trade had remained open and free (as per my original comment).
A reconstructed Tāriqu Canal or an 'earlier Suez' means Mediterranean powers based in Italy, the Balkans, North Africa, France, or Spain could also out-compete the (Northern) Europeans in terms of Asian trade.