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República Portuguesa: Portugal (

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Portugal (Portuguese: [puɾtuˈɣaɫ]), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese:

República Portuguesa [ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ]),[note 4] is a country located mostly on


the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost sovereign state of
mainland Europe, being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to
the north and east by Spain. Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the
Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments.

Portugal is the oldest state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe,
its territory having been continuously settled, invaded and fought over since
prehistoric times. The pre-Celtic people, Celts, Carthaginians and Romans were
followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples. Portugal as a
country was established during the Christian Reconquista against the Moors who had
invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD. Founded in 868, the County of Portugal
gained prominence after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128. The Kingdom of Portugal
was later proclaimed following the Battle of Ourique in 1139, and independence from
León was recognised by the Treaty of Zamora in 1143.[10]

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global empire, becoming
one of the world's major economic, political and military powers.[11][12][13] During this
period, today referred to as the Age of Discovery, Portuguese explorers pioneered
maritime exploration, notably under royal patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator
and King John II, with such notable voyages as Bartolomeu Dias' sailing beyond the
Cape of Good Hope (1488), Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India
(1497–98) and the European discovery of Brazil (1500). During this time Portugal
monopolized the spice trade, divided the world into hemispheres of dominion with
Castille, and the empire expanded with military campaigns in Asia. However, events
such as the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the country's occupation during the Napoleonic
Wars, the independence of Brazil (1822), and a late industrialization compared to
other European powers, erased to a great extent Portugal's prior opulence.[14]

After the 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy, the democratic but unstable
Portuguese First Republic was established, later being superseded by the Estado Novo
right-wing authoritarian regime. Democracy was restored after the Carnation
Revolution in 1974, ending the Portuguese Colonial War. Shortly after, independence
was granted to almost all its overseas territories. The handover of Macau to China in
1999 marked the end of what can be considered the longest-lived colonial empire.

Portugal has left a profound cultural and architectural influence across the globe, a
legacy of around 250 million Portuguese speakers, and many Portuguese-based
creoles. It is a developed country with a high-income advanced economy and high
living standards.[15][16][17] Additionally, it is highly placed in rankings of moral
freedom (2nd), peacefulness (3rd), democracy (10th),[18] press freedom (12th),
stability (15th), social progress (24th), prosperity (24th), and LGBT rights (7th in
Europe).[19] A member of the United Nations and the European Union, Portugal was
also one of the founding members of NATO, the eurozone, the OECD, and the
Community of Portuguese Language Countries

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