The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Portugal:
Portugal is a sovereign country principally located on the Iberian Peninsula in Southern Europe.[1] It is the westernmost country of continental Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira (including the Savage Islands) are also part of Portugal.
The land within the borders of today's Portuguese Republic has been continuously settled since prehistoric times. Some of the earliest civilizations include Lusitanians and Celtic societies. Incorporation into the Roman Republic dominions took place in the 2nd century BC. The region was ruled and colonized by Germanic peoples, such as the Suebi and the Visigoths, from the 5th to the 8th century. From this era, some vestiges of the Alans were also found. The Muslim Moors arrived in the early 8th century and conquered the Christian Germanic kingdoms, eventually occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula. In the early 12th century, during the Christian Reconquista, Portugal appeared as a kingdom independent of its neighbour, the Kingdom of León and Galicia. In a little over a century, in 1249, Portugal would establish almost its entire modern-day borders.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, with a global empire that included possessions in Africa, Asia and South America, Portugal was one of the world's major economic, political, and cultural powers. In the 17th century, the Portuguese Restoration War between Portugal and Spain ended the sixty-year period of the Iberian Union (1580–1640). In the 19th century, armed conflict with French and Spanish invading forces and the loss of its largest territorial possession abroad, Brazil, disrupted political stability and potential economic growth. In 1910, the last Portuguese king was overthrown and a republic was proclaimed. In 1926, a coup d'état established a military dictatorship that would be replaced by a fascist regime called Estado Novo in 1933. After the Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1974) and the Carnation Revolution coup d'état in 1974, the ruling regime was deposed in Lisbon, a democracy was established and the country handed over its last overseas provinces in Africa. Portugal was accepted as a member of the European Economic Community in 1986. Portugal's last overseas territory, Macau, was handed over to China in 1999.
General reference
edit- Pronunciation: UK: /ˈpɔːrtjʊɡəl/, US: /ˈpɔːrtʃəɡəl/ , Portuguese: [puɾtuˈɣal]
- Common English country name: Portugal
- Official English country name: (The) Portuguese Republic
- Common endonym(s): Portugal
- Official endonym(s): República Portuguesa
- Adjectival(s): Portuguese
- Demonym(s): Portuguese
- Etymology: Name of Portugal
- International rankings of Portugal
- ISO country codes: PT, PRT, 620
- ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:PT
- Internet country code top-level domain: .pt
Geography of Portugal
edit- Portugal is a:
- Location:
- Northern and Western Hemisphere
- Eurasia
- Time zones:
- Azores – UTC-01, summer UTC+00
- Rest of Portugal – Western European Time (UTC+00), Western European Summer Time (UTC+01)
- Extreme points of Portugal
- High: Ponta do Pico on Pico Island 2,351 m (7,713 ft) - highest point in the Azores
Torre 1,993 m (6,539 ft) - highest point in continental Portugal - Low: North Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- High: Ponta do Pico on Pico Island 2,351 m (7,713 ft) - highest point in the Azores
- Land boundaries: Spain 1,214 km
- Coastline: North Atlantic Ocean 1,793 km
- Population of Portugal: 10,617,600 (January 1, 2008) - 88th most populous country
- Area of Portugal: 92,345 km2
- Atlas of Portugal
- Islands of Portugal
Environment of Portugal
edit- Climate of Portugal
- Ecoregions in Portugal
- Renewable energy in Portugal
- Geology of Portugal
- Protected areas of Portugal
- Wildlife of Portugal
Natural geographic features of Portugal
edit- Glaciers of Portugal
- Islands of Portugal
- Lakes of Portugal
- Mountains of Portugal
- Rivers of Portugal
- Valleys of Portugal
- World Heritage Sites in Portugal
Regions of Portugal
editEcoregions of Portugal
editList of ecoregions in Portugal
Administrative divisions of Portugal
editAdministrative divisions of Portugal
Autonomous Regions of Portugal
editAutonomous regions of Portugal
Districts of Portugal
editMunicipalities of Portugal
editParishes of Portugal
edit- Capital of Portugal: Lisbon
- Cities of Portugal
- Towns of Portugal
Demography of Portugal
editGovernment and politics of Portugal
edit- Politics of Portugal
- Form of government: unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic
- Capital of Portugal: Lisbon
- Elections in Portugal
- Political parties in Portugal
Branches of the government of Portugal
editExecutive branch of the government of Portugal
edit- Head of state: President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
- Head of government: Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa
- Cabinet of Portugal
Legislative branch of the government of Portugal
editJudicial branch of the government of Portugal
editForeign relations of Portugal
editInternational organization membership
editThe Portuguese Republic is a member of:[1]
Law and order in Portugal
edit- Law of Portugal
- Cannabis in Portugal
- Capital punishment in Portugal
- Constitution of Portugal
- Crime in Portugal
- Human rights in Portugal
- Law enforcement in Portugal
Military of Portugal
editLocal government in Portugal
editHistory of Portugal
editCulture of Portugal
edit- Architecture of Portugal
- Cuisine of Portugal
- Festivals in Portugal
- Languages of Portugal
- Media in Portugal
- Museums in Portugal
- National symbols of Portugal
- People of Portugal
- Prostitution in Portugal
- Public holidays in Portugal
- Records of Portugal
- Religion in Portugal
- Christianity in Portugal
- Hinduism in Portugal
- Islam in Portugal
- Judaism in Portugal
- World Heritage Sites in Portugal
Art in Portugal
edit- Art in Portugal
- Cinema of Portugal
- Literature of Portugal
- Music of Portugal
- Television in Portugal
- Theatre in Portugal
Sports in Portugal
editEconomy and infrastructure of Portugal
edit- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 36th (thirty-sixth)
- Agriculture in Portugal
- Banking in Portugal
- Communications in Portugal
- Companies of Portugal
- Currency of Portugal: Euro (see also: Euro topics)
- Economic history of Portugal
- Energy in Portugal
- Health care in Portugal
- Mining in Portugal
- Portugal Stock Exchange
- Tourism in Portugal
- Transport in Portugal
- Water supply and sanitation in Portugal
Education in Portugal
editHealth in Portugal
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Portugal". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 2, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
External links
edit- (in English and Portuguese) Official Portuguese Government website
- (in English) Official Parliament website
- (in English) Official Travel and Tourism office website
- Wikimedia Atlas of Portugal
- (in English) Portugal in Photography 2007
- (in English) Portugal. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
- (in English) Official Portuguese Government Travel/media website
- (in English) Luso.tv - View Portugal in Video/media website