Portugal

República Portuguesa
Official flag Official Coat of Arms
National information
National motto:	None
National anthem:	"A Portuguesa"
About the people
Official languages:	Portuguese
Population: (# of people)
- Total:	10,566,212 (ranked 76th)
- Density:	114 per km²
Geography / Places
Here is the country on a map of the world.
Capital city:	Lisbon
Largest city:	Lisbon
Area
- Total:	92,391 km² (ranked 109th)
- Water:	n/a km² (0.5%%)
Politics / Government
Established:	1139
Leaders:	President: Aníbal Cavaco Silva Prime Minister José Sócrates
Economy / Money
Currency: (Name of money)	Euro (€)
International information
Time zone:
Telephone dialing code:	+351
Internet domain:	.pt

Portugal is a country in the south-west of Europe. The Atlantic Ocean is to the west and south, and Spain is to the north and east. Compared to the countries near Portugal, Portugal is actually quite smaller.

Three groups of islands in the Atlantic Ocean are also part of Portugal: the Azores (Açores), the Madeira and the Savage Isles (Ilhas Selvagens). The Savage Isles are a small group of islands with nobody on them, controlled by Madeira. The country says that Olivença is also part of it, but it is controlled by Spain (even the United Nations do not recognize the occupation).

History

Portugal became its own kingdom in 1139. The border with Spain has been almost the same since the 13th century. Fishing and trade with other countries are some of the most important economic activities.

Portugal was important in world exploration for two reasons. Henry the Navigator, a prince from Portugal, was very interested in exploration. Inventions in navigation led to a bigger knowledge of geography.

Portugal was a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries. However, it lost a lot of money soon after this. The city of Lisbon was destroyed in an earthquake in 1755. The country was occupied during the Napoleonic Wars. It lost its colony, Brazil, in 1822.

In 1910, Portugal became a Republic, and in 1926, a military group took control of the country from the Portuguese 1st Republic. This began a time of rule by fascist governments. This lasted until 1974. That year, a peaceful left-wing army coup, called the Carnation Revolution happened. The coup changed how the country was run.

The next year, Portugal allowed its colonies in Africa to be on their own: Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe. It lost its colony of East Timor in Asia to an Indonesian battle. Portugal went into the European Union in 1986. Another Asian colony, Macau, became part of China again in December 1999.

The language of Portugal is Portuguese.

Famous Portuguese people are Luis de Camões, Afonso Henriques and Fernando Pessoa

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Portugal

European Union member and candidate countries
Members	Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · United Kingdom
Candidates	Croatia · Macedonia · Turkey
Potential candidates	Albania · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Kosovo · Montenegro · Serbia