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Coordinates: 38°42′N 9°11′W

Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic
(Portuguese: República Portuguesa [ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ Portuguese Republic
puɾtuˈɣezɐ]),[note 4] is a country whose mainland is República Portuguesa (Portuguese)
located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern
Europe, and whose territory also includes the
Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira. It
features the westernmost point in mainland Europe,
and its Iberian portion is bordered to the west and
south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and Coat of arms
Flag
east by Spain, the sole country to have a land border
with Portugal. Its two archipelagos form two Motto: 

autonomous regions with their own regional Esta é a ditosa Pátria minha amada

governments. The official and national language is ("This is my blissful beloved homeland")
Portuguese. Lisbon is the capital and largest city. Anthem: 
A Portuguesa

Portugal is the oldest continuously existing nation ("The Portuguese")

state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest

0:00 MENU
in Europe, its territory having been continuously
settled, invaded and fought over since prehistoric
times. It was inhabited by pre-Celtic and Celtic
peoples, visited by Phoenicians-Carthaginians,
Ancient Greeks and ruled by the Romans, who were
followed by the invasions of the Suebi and Visigothic
Germanic peoples. After the invasion of the Iberian
Peninsula by the Moors, most of its territory was
part of Al-Andalus. Portugal as a country was
established during the early Christian Reconquista.
Founded in 868, the County of Portugal gained
prominence after the Battle of São Mamede (1128).
The Kingdom of Portugal was later proclaimed
following the Battle of Ourique (1139), and
independence from León was recognized by the Show globe
Treaty of Zamora (1143).[11] Show map of the European Union
Show all
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established Location of Portugal (dark green)
the first global maritime and commercial empire, – in Europe (green & dark grey)

becoming one of the world's major economic, – in the European Union (green)
political and military powers.[12] During this period, Capital Lisbon

today referred to as the Age of Discovery, Portuguese and largest city 38°46′N 9°9′W
explorers pioneered maritime exploration with the
discovery of what would become Brazil (1500). Official Portuguese
language

During this time Portugal monopolized the spice

and national
trade, divided the world into hemispheres of language
dominion with Castile, and the empire expanded
with military campaigns in Asia. However, events Recognized
Mirandese[note 1]
such as the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the country's regional
language
occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the
independence of Brazil (1822) erased to a great Ethnic groups 94.6% Portuguese
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extent Portugal's prior opulence.[13] A civil war (2021)[note 2][3] 5.4% Others

between liberal constitutionalists and conservative
Religion (2011) 84.3% Christianity
absolutists in Portugal over royal succession lasted
from 1828 to 1834. —81.0% Roman Catholic
—3.3% Other Christians
After the 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy, the 6.8% No religion
democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic 0.6% Others
was established, later being superseded by the 8.3% Undeclared
Estado Novo authoritarian regime. Democracy was
restored after the Carnation Revolution (1974), Demonym(s) Portuguese
ending the Portuguese Colonial War. Shortly after, Government Unitary semi-presidential
independence was granted to almost all its overseas republic[4]
territories. The handover of Macau to China (1999)
• President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
marked the end of what can be considered one of the
• Prime Minister António Costa
longest-lived colonial empires in history.
Legislature Assembly of the Republic
Portugal has left a profound cultural, architectural
Establishment
and linguistic influence across the globe, with a
• Foundation 868
legacy of around 250 million Portuguese speakers,
• Re-founding 1095
and many Portuguese-based creoles. It is a
• Sovereignty 24 June 1128
developed country with an advanced economy and
• Kingdom 25 July 1139
high living standards.[14][15][16] Additionally, it ranks
• Restoration 1 December 1640
highly in peacefulness, democracy,[17] press • First 23 September 1822
freedom, stability, social progress, prosperity and Constitution
English proficiency. A member of the United • Republic 5 October 1910
Nations, the European Union, the Schengen Area • Democratization 25 April 1974
and the Council of Europe (CoE), Portugal was also • Current 25 April 1976[note 3]
one of the founding members of NATO, the constitution
eurozone, the OECD, and the Community of • EEC accession 1 January 1986
Portuguese Language Countries.
Area
• Total 92,212 km2
(35,603 sq mi)[5] (109th)
Contents • Water (%) 1.2 (2015)[6]

Etymology Population
• 2021 census 10,344,802[3]
History • Density 112.2[7]/km2 (290.6/sq mi)
Prehistory
Roman Lusitania and Gallaecia GDP (PPP) 2022 estimate
Germanic kingdoms: Suebi and Visigoths • Total $406.2 billion[8] (52nd)
• Per capita $39,544[8] (58th)
Islamic period and the Reconquista
County of Portugal GDP (nominal) 2022 estimate
Independence and Afonsine era • Total $271.2 billion[8] (47th)
Joanine era and Age of Discoveries • Per capita $26,404[8] (52nd)
Iberian Union, Restoration and early Gini (2019)  31.9[9]

Brigantine era medium

Pombaline era and Enlightenment HDI (2019)  0.864[10]

Napoleonic era very high · 38th

Constitutional monarchy
Currency Euro (€) (EUR)
First Republic and Estado Novo
Carnation Revolution and European Time zone UTC (WET)

UTC−1 (Atlantic/Azores)
integration
• Summer (DST) UTC+1 (WEST)

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Geography UTC (Atlantic/Azores)

Climate Note: Mainland Portugal
and Madeira use
Biodiversity
WET/WEST, the Azores
Government and politics are 1 hour behind.
Presidency of the Republic Date format dd/mm/yyyy
Government
Mains electricity 230V - 50Hz
Parliament
Foreign relations Driving side Right
Military Calling code +351
Law ISO 3166 code PT
Law enforcement
Internet TLD .pt
Correctional services
Administrative divisions
a. ^ Mirandese, spoken in some villages of the
Government finance municipality of Miranda do Douro, was
Economy officially recognized in 1999 (Lei n.° 7/99 de
29 de Janeiro),[1] awarding it an official
Primary sector
right-of-use.[2] Portuguese Sign Language
Secondary sector is also recognized.
Tertiary sector b. ^ By country of citizenship
Quaternary sector c. ^ Portuguese Constitution adopted in 1976
Transport with several subsequent minor revisions,
Energy between 1982 and 2005.

Demographics
Urbanization
Metropolitan areas
Regions by HDI
Immigration
Religion
Languages
Education
Health
Culture
Architecture
Cinema
Literature
Cuisine
Music
Visual arts
Sport
See also
Notes
References
Sources
External links

Etymology
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The word Portugal derives from the Roman-Celtic place name

Portus Cale;[18] a city where present-day Vila Nova de Gaia
now stands, at the mouth of the River Douro in the north of
what is now Portugal. The name of the city is from the Latin
word for port or harbour, portus, but the second element of
Portus Cale is less clear. The mainstream explanation for the
name is that it is an ethnonym derived from the Castro people,
also known as the Callaeci, Gallaeci or Gallaecia, who occupied
the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula.[19] The names Cale
and Callaici are the origin of today's Gaia and Galicia.[20][21] Chalcolithic Dolmen Anta da Arca

Another theory proposes that Cale or Calle is a derivation of

the Celtic word for port, like the Irish caladh or Scottish Gaelic cala. These explanations, would
require the pre-Roman language of the area to have been a branch of Q-Celtic, which is not
generally accepted because the region's pre-Roman language was Gallaecian Celtic, usually
considered P-Celtic. However, scholars like Jean Markale and Tranoy propose that the Celtic
branches all share the same origin, and placenames such as Cale, Gal, Gaia, Calais, Galatia, Galicia,
Gaelic, Gael, Gaul, Wales, Cornwall, Wallonia and others all stem from one linguistic
root.[20][22][23]

Another theory has it that Cala was the name of a Celtic goddess (drawing a comparison with the
Gaelic Cailleach, a supernatural hag). Some French scholars believe the name may have come
from "Portus Gallus",[24] the port of the Gauls or Celts.

Around 200 BC, the Romans took the Iberian Peninsula from the Carthaginians during the Second
Punic War. In the process they conquered Cale, renaming it Portus Cale ("Port of Cale") and
incorporating it in the province of Gaellicia with its capital in Bracara Augusta (modern day Braga,
Portugal). During the Middle Ages, the region around Portus Cale became known by the Suebi and
Visigoths as Portucale. The name Portucale evolved into Portugale during the 7th and 8th
centuries, and by the 9th century, that term was used extensively to refer to the region between the
rivers Douro and Minho. By the 11th and 12th centuries, Portugale, Portugallia, Portvgallo or
Portvgalliae was already referred to as Portugal.

The 14th century Middle French name for the country, Portingal, which added an intrusive /n/
sound through the process of excrescence, spread to Middle English.[25] Middle English variant
spellings included Portingall, Portingale,[note 5] Portyngale and Portingaill.[25][27] The spelling
Portyngale is found in Chaucer's Epilogue to the Nun's Priest's Tale. These variants survive in the
Torrent of Portyngale, a Middle English romance composed around 1400, and "Old Robin of
Portingale", an English Child ballad. Portingal and variants were also used in Scots[25] and survive
in the Cornish name for the country, Portyngal.

History

Prehistory

The early history of Portugal is shared with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula located in south-
western Europe. The name of Portugal derives from the joined Romano-Celtic name Portus Cale.
The region was settled by Pre-Celts and Celts, giving origin to peoples like the Gallaeci,
Lusitanians,[28] Celtici and Cynetes (also known as Conii),[29] visited by Phoenicians-
Carthaginians and Ancient Greeks, was incorporated in the Roman Republic dominions as
Lusitania and part of Gallaecia, after 45 BC until 298 AD.

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The region of present-day Portugal was inhabited by

Neanderthals and then by Homo sapiens, who roamed the
border-less region of the northern Iberian peninsula.[30] These
were subsistence societies and although they did not establish
prosperous settlements, they did form organized societies.
Neolithic Portugal experimented with domestication of herding
animals, the raising of some cereal crops and fluvial or marine
fishing.[30]

Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa
Valley.
It is believed by some scholars that early in the first
millennium BC, several waves of Celts invaded Portugal from
Central Europe and inter-married with the local populations,
forming different tribes.[31] Another theory suggests that Celts
inhabited western Iberia / Portugal well before any large Celtic
migrations from Central Europe.[32] In addition, a number of
linguists expert in ancient Celtic have presented compelling
evidence that the Tartessian language, once spoken in parts of
SW Spain and SW Portugal, is at least proto-Celtic in
structure.[33]

Modern archaeology and research shows a Portuguese root to

the Celts in Portugal and elsewhere.[34] During that period and
Megalithic Monuments of Alcalar, until the Roman invasions, the Castro culture (a variation of
built in the 3rd millennium BCE. the Urnfield culture also known as Urnenfelderkultur) was
prolific in Portugal and modern Galicia.[35][36][21]
This culture,
together with the surviving elements of the Atlantic megalithic
culture [37] and the contributions that come from the more Western Mediterranean cultures, ended
up in what has been called the Cultura Castreja or Castro Culture.[38][39] This designation refers to
the characteristic Celtic populations called 'dùn', 'dùin' or 'don' in Gaelic and that the Romans
called castrae in their chronicles.[40]

Based on the Roman chronicles about the Callaeci peoples, along

with the Lebor Gabála Érenn[41] narrations and the interpretation
of the abundant archaeological remains throughout the northern
half of Portugal and Galicia, it is possible to infer that there was a
matriarchal society, with a military and religious aristocracy
probably of the feudal type. The figures of maximum authority
were the chieftain (chefe tribal), of military type and with
authority in his Castro or clan, and the druid, mainly referring to
medical and religious functions that could be common to several
castros. The Celtic cosmogony remained homogeneous due to the
ability of the druids to meet in councils with the druids of other
areas, which ensured the transmission of knowledge and the most
significant events.
The first documentary references to Castro
society are provided by chroniclers of Roman military campaigns
such as Strabo, Herodotus and Pliny the Elder among others,
about the social organization, and describing the inhabitants of
these territories, the Gallaeci of Northern Portugal as:
"A group of Examples of Castro culture in
barbarians who spend the day fighting and the night eating, Northern Portugal (9th – 1st c.
drinking and dancing under the moon." BCE): Citânia de Briteiros (top)
and Cividade de Terroso
There were other similar tribes, and chief among them were the
(bottom).
Lusitanians; the core area of these people lay in inland central
Portugal, while numerous other related tribes existed such as the
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Celtici of Alentejo, and the Cynetes or Conii of the Algarve. Among the tribes or sub-divisions were
the Bracari, Coelerni, Equaesi, Grovii, Interamici, Leuni, Luanqui, Limici, Narbasi, Nemetati,
Paesuri, Quaquerni, Seurbi, Tamagani, Tapoli, Turduli, Turduli Veteres, Turdulorum Oppida,
Turodi, and Zoelae. A few small, semi-permanent, commercial coastal settlements (such as Tavira)
were also founded in the Algarve region by Phoenicians–Carthaginians.

Roman Lusitania and Gallaecia

Romans first invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 219 BC. The

Carthaginians, Rome's adversary in the Punic Wars, were
expelled from their coastal colonies. During the last days of
Julius Caesar, almost the entire peninsula was annexed to the
Roman Republic.

The Roman conquest of what is now part of Portugal took

almost two hundred years and took many lives of young
soldiers and
the lives of those who were sentenced to a certain
Roman Temple of Évora, in the
death in the slave mines when not sold as slaves to other parts
Alentejo, is one of the best
preserved Roman-built structures in
of the empire. It suffered a severe setback in 155 BC, when a
rebellion began in the north. The Lusitanians and other native
the country.
tribes, under the leadership of Viriathus,[42][43] wrested
control of all of western Iberia.

Rome sent numerous legions and its best generals to Lusitania to

quell the rebellion, but to no avail – the Lusitanians kept
conquering territory. The Roman leaders decided to change their
strategy. They bribed Viriathus's allies to kill him. In 139 BC,
Viriathus was assassinated and Tautalus became leader of the
Lusitanians.

Rome installed a colonial regime. The complete Romanization of

Lusitania only took place in the Visigothic era.

In 27 BC, Lusitania gained the status of Roman province. Later, a

northern province of Lusitania was formed, known as Gallaecia,
with capital in Bracara Augusta, today's Braga.[44]
There are still
many ruins of castros (hill forts) throughout modern Portugal and
remains of the Castro culture.
Some urban remains are quite
large, like Conímbriga and Mirobriga. The former, beyond being Centum Cellas, in the Beira
one of the largest Roman settlements in Portugal, is also classified region, is a Roman villa rustica
as a National Monument. Conímbriga lies 16 kilometres (10 from the 1st century CE.
miles) from Coimbra, which in turn was the ancient Aeminium.
The site also has a museum that displays objects found by
archaeologists during their excavations.

Several works of engineering, such as baths, temples, bridges, roads, circuses, theatres and
laymen's homes are preserved throughout the country. Coins, some coined in Lusitanian land, as
well as numerous pieces of ceramics, were also found. Contemporary historians include Paulus
Orosius (c. 375–418)[45] and Hydatius (c. 400–469), bishop of Aquae Flaviae, who reported on the
final years of the Roman rule and arrival of the Germanic tribes.

Germanic kingdoms: Suebi and Visigoths

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