Southwestern Europe, bordering
the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0
m
Highest point: Ponta do Pico
(Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m
Capital: Lisbon
Largest City: Lisbon
Religion: Roman Catholic 94%,
Protestant
Languages Spoken: Portuguese
(official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
See also: Languages
spoken in Europe, Languages of
the world
Information & Brief History
Following its heyday as a world power
during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and
status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation
during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a
colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six
decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military
coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted
independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member
of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
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Portugal
