Portugal

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - North
  - Northern interior
  - South
  - The Madeira Islands
  - The Azores
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
  - Vegetation
  - Wildlife
People
- Ethnic groups and languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Literature
  - Architecture
  - Visual and decorative arts
  - Music
  - Theatre and motion pictures
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Pre-Roman, Roman, Germanic, and Muslim periods
- The county and kingdom of Portugal to 1383
  - The kingdom and the Reconquista
  - Disputes with Castile
- The house of Aviz, 1383–1580
  - Independence assured
  - Consolidation of the monarchy
  - Medieval social and economic development
  - The discoveries and the empire
    - Conquest and exploration
    - Control of the sea trade
- Union of Spain and Portugal, 1580–1640
- The house of Bragança, 1640–1910
  - The 18th century
  - The French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars
  - Constitutionalism
    - The War of the Two Brothers
    - Further political strife
    - Overseas empire
    - The rise of republicanism
  - Social and economic conditions
- The First Republic, 1910–26
- The dictatorship, 1926–74
  - The Salazar regime
  - The New State after Salazar
- Portugal since 1974
  - The Revolution of the Carnations
  - The 1976 constitution and subsequent reforms
- Into the 21st century
  - Stabilization and the European future
  - Sovereign debt crisis

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Political map of Portugal showing national boundaries, major cities, and surrounding regions. Insets display the Azores and Madeira Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, with key towns labeled. A locator map in the bottom left highlights Portugal's position in southwestern Europe next to Spain.

Colorful, traditional buildings line the Duoro River waterfront in the Ribeira district of Porto, Portugal, with boats moored along the stone quay and hillside structures above.

Map of southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa highlighting Portugal in orange, with neighboring countries Spain, France, and the United Kingdom labeled, as well as Morocco, Algeria, and Western Sahara across the Mediterranean. The capital city, Lisbon, is marked within Portugal.

The old convent and red-roofed lighthouse of Cape St. Vincent sit atop rugged cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the Algarve, southern Portugal.

Close-up of the Monument to the Discoverers in Lisbon, Portugal, showing detailed stone statues of historical figures standing in a row, with one figure at the front holding a ship model.

Explore Lisbon: A city shaped by maritime history

Iberian Peninsula; International Space Station

vineyards in the upper Douro River valley

At a Glance

default image

Portugal summary

Portugal: Media

country, Europe

Videos

Explore Lisbon: A city shaped by maritime history

Explore Lisbon: A city shaped by maritime history

Overview of Lisbon.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

History and nature of Madeira Island, Portugal

History and nature of Madeira Island, Portugal

Overview of Madeira Island, Portugal.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Explore the historic neighborhoods and World Heritage sites of Lisbon, one of the oldest cities in Europe

Explore the historic neighborhoods and World Heritage sites of Lisbon, one of the oldest cities in Europe

Time-lapse video of Lisbon and Sesimbra, Portugal.

Video: © Kirill Neiezhmakov; www.youtube.com/user/nk87design (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

How Portugal rose and fell as a colonial power

How Portugal rose and fell as a colonial power

Overview of Portugal's colonial history.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail The Berardo Collection, Lisbon (via Walters Museum)

Basket weaving on Madeira Island, Portugal

Basket weaving on Madeira Island, Portugal

Overview of basketry on Madeira Island, Portugal.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Visit the beautiful rocky landscape of Madeira forests and witness its monstrously large flora

Visit the beautiful rocky landscape of Madeira forests and witness its monstrously large flora

The forests of Madeira Island, Portugal.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Explore the historical baroque churches and neoclassical sites of Porto from the Luis I Bridge and the River Douro

Explore the historical baroque churches and neoclassical sites of Porto from the Luis I Bridge and the River Douro

Time-lapse video of Porto, Portugal.

Video: © Kirill Neiezhmakov; www.youtube.com/user/nk87design (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Images

Portugal

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of Portugal showing national boundaries, major cities, and surrounding regions. Insets display the Azores and Madeira Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, with key towns labeled. A locator map in the bottom left highlights Portugal's position in southwestern Europe next to Spain.

Portugal

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Colorful, traditional buildings line the Duoro River waterfront in the Ribeira district of Porto, Portugal, with boats moored along the stone quay and hillside structures above.

Porto: Ribeira district

Typical dwellings in the Ribeira district of Porto, Portugal.

© Inna Felker/stock.adobe.com

Map of southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa highlighting Portugal in orange, with neighboring countries Spain, France, and the United Kingdom labeled, as well as Morocco, Algeria, and Western Sahara across the Mediterranean. The capital city, Lisbon, is marked within Portugal.

Portugal

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The old convent and red-roofed lighthouse of Cape St. Vincent sit atop rugged cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the Algarve, southern Portugal.

Cape St. Vincent

Cape St. Vincent, Portugal.

© Sergioua/Dreamstime.com

Close-up of the Monument to the Discoverers in Lisbon, Portugal, showing detailed stone statues of historical figures standing in a row, with one figure at the front holding a ship model.

Monument to the Discoveries

Monument to the Discoveries, Lisbon, Portugal.

©David Elliott/Dreamstime.com

Iberian Peninsula; International Space Station

Iberian Peninsula; International Space Station

The Iberian Peninsula seen from the International Space Station, July 26, 2014.

NASA

vineyards in the upper Douro River valley

vineyards in the upper Douro River valley

Terraced vineyards in the upper Douro River valley of northern Portugal.

© Robert Frerck/Odyssey Productions

Map of Portugal displaying its historic provinces with internal borders, major cities such as Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, and notable geographic features like mountain ranges and rivers. The map also includes an inset showing the location of the Azores and Madeira Islands relative to mainland Portugal. Neighboring Spain and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Cadiz, are labeled.

historic provinces of Portugal

Historic provinces of Portugal.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

the Algarve

the Algarve

Limestone cliffs, the Algarve, Portugal.

© David Wheatley

Cork oak trees with their lower trunks stripped of bark stand in a plantation on dry, sandy soil near Evora, Alentejo, Portugal.

stripped cork oak trees

Stripped cork oak trees in the Alentejo area, Portugal.

© Sebastian/stock.adobe.com

Terraced vineyards and olive groves line the hillsides along the winding Douro River in the upper valleys of the Tras-os-Montes region, Portugal.

upper Douro River valley

Vineyards and olive groves in the upper Douro River valley of the Trás-os-Montes...

© Miguel Almeida/stock.adobe.com

Portugal: population density

Portugal: population density

Population density of Portugal.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ruins of the Roman Temple of Diana in Evora, Portugal, featuring tall stone columns on a raised stone platform, with historic buildings in the background.

Temple of Diana

Roman temple, known as the Temple of Diana, in Évora, Portugal.

© rudiernst/stock.adobe.com

Pena Palace

Pena Palace

Pena Palace, Sintra, Portugal.

George Holton/Photo Researchers

Lisbon: Dom Pedro IV Square

Lisbon: Dom Pedro IV Square

Dom Pedro IV Square, also called Rossio Square, Lisbon.

© Luis Elvas/Fotolia

Pessoa, Fernando

Pessoa, Fernando

Fernando Pessoa, statue in Lisbon.

Nol Aders

Church of Bom Jesus do Monte staircase

Church of Bom Jesus do Monte staircase

Staircase leading to the church of Bom Jesus do Monte, Braga, Portugal.

© saiko3p/stock.adobe.com

Portuguese fado singer Mariza performs on stage, holding a microphone and gesturing with her hand, wearing a sleeveless, patterned silver dress against a dark background.

Mariza

Mariza.

© Horacio Villalobos—Corbis/Getty Images

Manoel de Oliveira

Manoel de Oliveira

Manoel de Oliveira, 2010.

Ian Gaven—Getty Images Entertainment/Thinkstock

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

The garden of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.

Manuel Silveira Ramos/Biblioteca de Arte-Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal prepares to kick a soccer ball during a FIFA World Cup Qualifier match against Hungary, wearing a white and red uniform on the field.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo preparing to kick the ball in a World Cup 2010 qualifier...

© Laszlo Szirtesi/Shutterstock.com

Golden limestone cliffs border the sandy shore of Rabbit Beach in Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal, with people swimming and colorful umbrellas on the beach.

Portugal: beach

Beach near Faro, Portugal.

© kazmulka/stock.adobe.com

Estrela Mountains

Estrela Mountains

Estrela Mountains, Portugal.

Joaquim Alves Gaspar

Coelho, Pedro Passos

Coelho, Pedro Passos

Pedro Passos Coelho, leader of Portugal's centre-right Social Democratic Party, waving...

Paulo DuarteAP/Shutterstock.com

Ancient Roman stone road in Portugal curves uphill through dry grass, bordered by tall evergreen trees.

Ancient Roman road in Portugal

Many Roman roads survive today, some still in use as streets or dirt tracks.

© inacio pires/stock.adobe.com

Portuguese folk dancers

Portuguese folk dancers

Portuguese folk dancers from Algarve performing one of the traditional regional folk...

M. Howard/ZEFA

Physical map of Portugal highlighting major rivers, mountain ranges, and nature parks within the mainland, as well as insets showing the locations of the Azores and Madeira Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The map also includes a locator inset to show Portugal's position in southwestern Europe, bordered by Spain and the Atlantic Ocean.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Europe color-coded to show the expansion of the European Union by year of joining, distinguishing original 1993 members, later additions in 1995, 2004, 2007, and 2013, as well as candidate countries and the United Kingdom as a former member. Country names are labeled within their borders.

European Union

Map of Europe with European Union member states.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of the Americas in 1780 showing the Spanish and Portuguese viceroyalties. Spanish territories are shaded in green, including the Viceroyalty of New Spain, Viceroyalty of Peru, Viceroyalty of New Granada, and Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. Portuguese territory, labeled as the Viceroyalty of Brazil, is shaded in purple. Borders between Spanish and Portuguese lands are marked, with amendments from 1750 and 1778 indicated. British territory is shown in the northern part of North America. Ma

Spanish viceroyalties and Portuguese territories in the Americas, 1780

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Antique map from 1902 showing Spain, Portugal, and Andorra with detailed political boundaries, cities, and geographic features. Insets display the Azores Islands, Canary Islands, Madeira Island, and Gibraltar, providing additional detail for these territories.

Iberian Peninsula and Andorra, c. 1900

Map of the Iberian Peninsula, Andorra, and nearby islands (c. 1900) from...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Portugal

Portugal

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of Portugal

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Portugal.

Interactives

Portugal: Ethnic composition

Portugal: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Portugal: Religious affiliation

Portugal: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Portugal: Urban-rural

Portugal: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Portugal: Age breakdown

Portugal: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Portugal: Major import sources

Portugal: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Portugal: Major export destinations

Portugal: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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