PORTUGAL : History

Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe. An independent kingdom since 1143,  it established its continental frontiers in 1297.

Portugal has witnessed a constant flow of different civilizations during the past 3100 years. Iberian, Celtic, Phoenician and Carthaginian, Greek, Roman, Germanic and Arab cultures have all made an imprint on the country. The naming of Portugal itself reveals most of the country's early history, stemming as it does from the Roman name Portus Cale, a possibly mixed Greek and Latin name meaning "Beautiful Port". The Roman era, which lasted from the 1st to the 5th century A.D., left an indelible mark on the landscape. Clear evidence of this can be seen at the impressive settltement of Conimbriga, near Coimbra , the imposing aqueduct leading into the city of Elvas and the striking Temple of Diana in Évora. The Romans also lent the Portuguese their language, which is largely Latin-based with some Arabic influences. The Moorish occupation lasted from the 8th to the mid-12th century, their greatest contribution being the introduction of the azulejo, a glazed-tile used for interior and exterior decoration.

In the 15th century  Portuguese explorers such as Vasco da Gama put to sea in search of a passage to India. By the 16th century these sailors had helped build a huge empire embracing Brazil as well as swathes of Africa and Asia. Traces of this worldwide historic presence may be seen as trademarks of the Portuguese genius.

The Portuguese language became one of the most widely spoken in the world (There are still some 200 million Portuguese speakers around the world today), and the Portuguese people were privileged for being exposed to so many different civilizations. The vast monumental, artistic and archaeological heritage does witness not only the 850 years of history of encounters with distant cultures, but also the presence in the territory of more ancient peoples (Celts, Suevians, Visigoths, Romans and Arabs).

Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. When it handed over its last overseas territory, Macau, to Chinese administration in 1999, it brought to an end a long and sometimes turbulent era as a colonial power. Until the 1970s, Portuguese overseas territories included the Cape Verde Islands, São Tomé and Príncipe, Portuguese Guinea, Angola and Mozambique (all in Africa), Macau (in Asia) and Timor (in Oceania).

Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.