The Iberian Peninsula is located in southwest Europe and is home to Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar today. As is known, the area where Portugal is located was inhabited about 500,000 years ago by Neanderthals and then by Homo sapiens.
\nHundreds of years before Christ when the Celtic tribes arrived in the Iberian Peninsula, the Iberian peoples were already living there. Later and still BC, the Romans invaded the region of Portugal and held it until the fifth century AD – the days of the fall of the Roman Empire. Later, Visigothic tribes conquered Portugal. At the end of that period, the Christian faith began to spread in the region.
\nIn 711 AD the Muslims (Moors) invaded the Iberian Peninsula from North Africa and conquered it. They ruled over large parts of it for about 800 years.
\nThe Reconquista – the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Muslims by the Christians began at the end of the 8th century and continued in a gradual process for about 700 years.
\nInitially, Portugal was a duchy that gained its independence from Castile while fighting the Muslims.
\nIn the 12th century, the Kingdom of Portugal was officially founded and the Pope recognized it as Catholic and independent.
\nIn the 13th century, Portugal became the first Christian kingdom. %D7%94%D7%90%D7%99%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99″>half<\/a> of the Iberian island where the Reconquista process ended.
\nAt the beginning of the 15th century, Portugal began to go on voyages of discovery and conquest overseas and took control of parts of North Africa. At first there was the reason – the spread of Christianity. However, the wealth that was revealed encouraged the Portuguese to continue their journeys in the quest to discover more lands from which economic benefits could be derived. The Portuguese discovered islands in the Atlantic Ocean and countries in Africa. Later, the sea route to India through the Cape of Good Hope (in South Africa) and then the Portuguese presence in the Far East began. At the beginning of the 16th century, Portugal discovered Brazil.
\nPortugal’s glorious past was built in the Age of Discovery. The Portuguese explorers turned Portugal into a great and rich maritime power and following the discoveries the kingdom expanded into a colonial empire.
\nAt that time, innovations and inventions in the maritime field developed in Portugal. These contributed to the discovery of the new lands and many sources of income that greatly enriched the kingdom’s coffers. But, Portugal neglected its colonies (the countries under its control) and invested little in their development.
\nIn the 16th century, Portugal was defeated in a battle in Morocco and the king was killed. The Portuguese royal house had difficulty appointing a king in his place. Following these events, the Iberian Union was created (between Spain and Portugal) and the King of Spain was also declared King of Portugal. In the 17th century, after 60 years, the Portuguese declared their own king. Spanish rule ended and Portugal returned to being an independent kingdom.
\nDuring the period when Spain and Portugal were united (1580 – 1640) the English, the Dutch and the French who were Spain’s enemies at the time frequently attacked the Portuguese colonies and put an end to both Portugal’s and Spain’s monopoly in world maritime trade.
\nAt the beginning of the 19th century, Napoleon invaded Portugal. The Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil which received the status of a united kingdom with Portugal. The city of Rio de Janeiro (in Brazil) became the capital of the Portuguese kingdom. After some time, Lisbon returned to being the capital city and Brazil gained independence.
\nThe Portuguese Empire began to gradually decline and lost a large part of its colonies, wealth, status and colonial assets in a process that lasted until the end of the 20th century.
\nIn 1910, following a coup, the monarchy was overthrown and replaced by a republic. In 1926 the republic became a dictatorial military regime. In 1974, the dictatorial regime was overthrown by the army in a revolution known as the “Carnation Revolution” when the soldiers placed carnations in their rifle barrels as a symbol of non-violence.
\nDue to democratic elections, a democratic republic was established that exists to this day. Later, Portugal declared the independence of all its colonies.
\nToday, Portugal is a member of both NATO and the European Union.<\/p>\n