Portugal

Portugal, republic on the Iberian peninsula in the extreme southwest of continental Europe.

Land and climate

Excluding the Azores and Madeira, Portugal covers an area of 34,340 sq mi/88,941 sq km and is bordered by Spain to the east and north and by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. Portugal lies at the point where the western ridge of the high Spanish plateau slopes downward towards the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the highest land lies in the northeast gradually giving way to undulating hills and low fertile plains. Three large rivers, all rising in Spain, cross the country: the Douro, the Tagus, and the Guadiana. Coastal Portugal has a mild climate; the interior has colder winters and is often subject to drought. The capital is Lisbon.

People

The Portuguese people are a mixture of the original inhabitants of the land and successive waves of invaders. The Portuguese language is closely related to Spanish and almost everyone in Portugal is Roman Catholic.

Economy

Portugal is one of Europe's poorer countries. Most of the people live in villages and small towns and agriculture is an important occupation. Most farms are small and poor. Portuguese raise livestock, olives, grapes, citrus fruits, and almonds and produce wine and olive oil. Portugal is a major producer of cork. Fishing is important, the chief catches being sardines and tuna. Industries include food processing, textiles, metals, mining, and hydroelectricity.

History

Over the centuries, the area that is now Portugal was invaded by Celts, Greeks, and Romans and later by Visigoths, Berbers, and Moors. The Moors arrived in 711 and remained until 1249. Their influence upon Portuguese culture has been deep. Portugal became an independent Christian kingdom in 1143 under Alfonso I and over the next century the country was completely reconquered from the Moors. In 1385, John I founded the Aviz dynasty and by the second half of the 16th century, Portugal was at the pinnacle of its power with an empire that included much of South America, Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. Philip II of Spain seized Portugal in 1580 and the Spanish ruled until a successful revolt established the ruling house of Braganza in 1640. By then, Portugal had lost most of her former power and influence. During the Napoleonic Wars, Portugal was invaded by both the French and the Spanish. By 1825 Brazil had become an independent empire. A Portuguese republic was declared in 1910 and after a military coup in 1926 Antonio de Oliveira Salazar rose to power and became virtual dictator until he was succeeded by Marcello Caetano in 1968. A coup in 1974 ushered in a government that brought democratic reforms. Subsequently, Portugal shed virtually all of its overseas territories. Guinea-Bissau became independent in 1974, followed by Angola, the Cape Verde Islands, Mozambique, and São Tomé and Príncipe in 1975. In 1976 Portuguese Timor became part of Indonesia and Macao will revert to China in 1999. In the process, Portugal has also recovered a measure of political stability. In 1987 the government, headed by Premier Anibal Cavaco Silvas, was democratically elected. The 1995 elections were won by the Socialistst, led by António Guterres.