Spain looks to the south?

So this was my first idea when i discovered Alt history. Is there a way to make Africa dominated by a single Spanish (or Iberian) power? I don't know nearly enough of the contextual history, how strong the Ottomans were or why Portugal and Spain are distinct countries.

I'm thinking of the Portuguese empire, and how they had circumnativgated the continent. So if there is a way to keep Spain and Portugal unified (and keep their other holdings), would it be possible that the Reconquesta would just keep going? POD can be very early back, if a different set of monarchs are needed.

Anyway, thoughts? PS: i realize that the defeat of the Spanish Armada might be a good starting point, but i have no idea the implications.

EDIT: I would be entirely fine with a surviving Al-Adonis spreading Islam as well. Heck, Spain has been so many things that you could wank them in infinite directions.
 
No, any country not be able to take whole continent. Many other powers want take colonies too. And the continent is just too large for one country.
 
No, any country not be able to take whole continent. Many other powers want take colonies too. And the continent is just too large for one country.

A single Iberian power can take what is basically all of South America, obvious I'm assuming he doesn't mean it literally, but Spain can be given more African colonies.
 
I think the period after Ferdinand and Isabella would be a better POD. If you keep the Hapsburgs out of Spain possibly by killing Philip the Handsome early then Spain will probably keep out of a lot of those endless European wars they became involved with. Also the Reconquista had just ended, nobody had yet heard of Martin Luther, and without doing something stupid like trying to conquer the low countries they're going to need some wars to spend all of their American gold and silver on. I really think Morocco would be a tempting target.
 
I really think Morocco would be a tempting target.

That was the original plan before the discovery of the New World derails things. Of course, as you stated, becoming involved in the Habsburgs rivalry with France was also a large distraction. However, the Burgundian inheritance did give Spain a lot of heft it would not possess otherwise. The Spanish Netherlands was a major source of early Spanish power, and for the most part paid for itself. It was a contributor to Spain, not something that drew wealth away.

Spain did devote a lot of resources to controlling North Africa. It controlled multiple cities along the Barbary coast. The reason it failed to control them was 1) Ottomans chased them out, 2) Spaniards were not willing to settle in large numbers in North Africa when the Americas was more lucrative, and 3) Spanish control never penetrated outside the major cities to extend into the countryside.

Spain would need to devote much more resources if it wanted to turn North Africa into a real part of Catholic Spain. Those resources have to come from somewhere. What doesn't Spain do if it pours its money and manpower into Morocco and Algeria?
 
If Columbus hadnt bamboozled Ferdinand and Isabella, who werent educated enough to know his proposal was impossible (as it was, indeed; he never reached Asia), then they might well continue the Reconquista trying to free more of the exRoman empire from the 'yoke' of Islam.

They could likely take, and possibly hold, Morrocco. Algerias might be in the bounds of possibility, but I dont see them going past Algeria at the furthest.

Also, the amount of ethnic cleansing would be horrific.
 
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