Taken from Wikipedia
PortugalĀ (Portuguese:Ā [puɾtuĖÉ£aÉ«]), officially theĀ Portuguese RepublicĀ (Portuguese:Ā RepĆŗblica PortuguesaĀ [ŹÉĖpuβlikÉ puɾtuĖÉ£ezÉ]),[note 4]Ā is a country located on theĀ Iberian Peninsula, inĀ south-western Europe. It is the westernmostĀ sovereign stateĀ inĀ mainland Europe, bordered to the west and south by theĀ Atlantic OceanĀ and to the north and east byĀ Spain, the sole country to have a land border with Portugal. Portugalās territory also includes the AtlanticĀ archipelagosĀ of theĀ AzoresĀ andĀ Madeira, bothĀ autonomous regionsĀ with their ownĀ regional governments. The official and national language isĀ Portuguese.Ā LisbonĀ is theĀ capitalĀ and largest city.
Portugal is the oldest nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe, its territory having been continuously settled, invaded and fought over since prehistoric times. It was inhabited by pre-Celtic and Celtic peoples, visited by Phoenicians-Carthaginians, Ancient Greeks and ruled by the Romans, who were followed by the invasions of the Suebi and Visigothic Germanic peoples. After the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors, most of its territory was part of Al-Andalus. Portugal as a country was established during the early Christian Reconquista. Founded in 868, the County of Portugal gained prominence after the Battle of São Mamede (1128). The Kingdom of Portugal was later proclaimed following the Battle of Ourique (1139), and independence from León was recognized by the Treaty of Zamora (1143).[13]
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established theĀ first global maritime and commercial empire, becoming one of the world's major economic, political and militaryĀ powers.[14]Ā During this period, today referred to as theĀ Age of Discovery, Portuguese explorers pioneered maritime exploration with the discovery of what would becomeĀ BrazilĀ (1500). During this time Portugal monopolized theĀ spice trade,Ā divided the world into hemispheres of dominion with Castile, and the empire expanded with military campaigns inĀ Asia. However, events such as theĀ 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the country's occupation during theĀ Napoleonic Wars, and theĀ independence of Brazil (1822)Ā erased to a great extentĀ Portugal's prior opulence.[15]Ā A civil warĀ betweenĀ liberalĀ constitutionalists and conservative absolutists in Portugal over royal succession lasted from 1828 to 1834.
After theĀ 1910 revolutionĀ deposed the monarchy, the democratic but unstableĀ Portuguese First RepublicĀ was established, later being superseded by theĀ Estado NovoĀ authoritarian regime. Democracy was restored after theĀ Carnation RevolutionĀ (1974), ending theĀ Portuguese Colonial War. Shortly after, independence was granted to almost allĀ its overseas territories. TheĀ handover of Macau to ChinaĀ (1999) marked the end of what can be considered one of the longest-lived colonial empires in history.
Portugal has left a profound cultural, architectural and linguistic influenceĀ across the globe, with a legacy of around 250 millionĀ Portuguese speakers, and manyĀ Portuguese-based creoles. It is aĀ developed countryĀ with anĀ advanced economyĀ and highĀ living standards.[16][17][18]Ā Additionally, it ranks highly inĀ moral freedom,Ā peacefulness,Ā democracy,[19]Ā press freedom,Ā stability,Ā social progress, andĀ prosperity. A member of theĀ United Nations, theĀ European Union, theĀ Schengen AreaĀ and theĀ Council of EuropeĀ (CoE), Portugal was also one of the founding members ofĀ NATO, theĀ eurozone, theĀ OECD, and theĀ Community of Portuguese Language Countries.