Portugal

History

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. It is a unitary republic made up by mainland Portugal and two autonomous regions, with Lisbon as both its capital and largest city. It has a total population of over 10.7 million. The mainland borders Spain to the north and east, with Madeira and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. It features the westernmost point in continental Europe. The western Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited since prehistory, with the earliest signs of settlement dating to 5500 BC. Portugal was initially established as a county of the Kingdom of León in 868, and formally as a kingdom in 1179 resulting from the Reconquista against the Muslims. It later became one of the main participants of the Age of Discovery, made several seminal advancements in nautical science and was among the first European countries to explore and discover new territories and sea routes, establishing settlements, colonies, and trading posts. After it became a republic in 1910, Portugal lived under dictatorship from 1926 until its overthrow in 1974 enabling the full establishment of democracy in 1976. It is a semi-presidential... Summary adapted from the English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). The live article includes citations, maps, and updates.