2. Portuguese explorers created a trading empire by A. negotiating agreements with local leaders.
B. marrying local women and building settlements.
C. discovering a sea route around Africa to India.
D. discovering new inland trading opportunities.

C

Explanation:

they encountered severe weather for which they were poorly prepared.

an informal structure in a bureaucracy would be something like so-called "office politics". where there's a formal structure set up for the organization, but then an informal subculture as well that has a way of organizing the bureaucracy further. this can be positive because it sets up an added degree of organization, albeit informal, within the bureaucracy.