Why was the caravel such an important advancement for exploration?

This ship model was probably based on the boats used by the Portuguese fishermen. At the end of the 15th century the prince of Portugal, Enrique the Navigator, undertook a series of conquest explorations in the Atlantic islands and on the coast of Africa. The invention of the caravel, as well as the substitution of coca with nao, greatly helped Spain and Portugal in their travels by the ocean in the fifteenth century.

In the years after the discovery and conquest and colonization of America, the caravels were falling into disuse as new types of vessels appeared, especially the galleons, which preceded the naos and carracas, but with enormous improvements in its performance, especially in terms of load capacity, resistance and maneuverability.

what are the options?

the graph shows the spread of railways in the 1800s.

based on the graph, the conclusion that can be drawn about germany is answer d)   by 1880, germany had more rail lines than great britain and russia.