Follow Portugal Investment Immigration and Life in Portugal: Portugal had a population of 10,647,763 (2011) and a land area of 92,090 square kilometers.
As early as the first millennium BC, the Celts settled on the Iberian Peninsula. Around 140 BC, the Romans conquered Portugal and ruled until the Germanic tribes invaded in the 5th century AD. The Muslim invasion in 711 left only northern Portugal in Catholic hands. In 1179, the region became the Kingdom of Portugal and expanded with the recapture of territories occupied by Muslims. The modern borders of Portugal on the continent were finalized under King Afonso III in 1249.
After the death of King Ferdinand I of Portugal in 1383, who left no male heir, his son-in-law, the King of Castile, declared succession but faced resistance from Portuguese nobles and the public. They supported John I, the illegitimate son of King Peter I, who was the half-brother of Ferdinand I, to ascend the throne, defeating Castile at the Battle of Aljubarrota, thus securing Portugal's independence while maintaining tension with Castile, forcing Portugal to develop its maritime capabilities. John I had five children, among whom the third son was the famous navigator Prince Henry.
The 15th and 16th centuries marked the height of Portugal's power, possessing vast colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, making it a maritime superpower. However, as other European nations gained maritime hegemony, Portugal's influence declined. In 1580, due to royal intermarriage, it was annexed by Spain and only regained independence in 1640. In 1807, it was invaded by Napoleon's forces and occupied in 1808, leading the Braganza royal family to temporarily relocate to the colonies in Brazil until the end of the war in 1812. During this time, to gain the support of the Brazilian people, it declared equal status between Portugal and Brazil, changing its official name to the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. Brazil declared independence in 1822, and in 1825, Portugal recognized Brazil's independence.
The revolution on October 5, 1910, overthrew the monarchy, leading King Manuel II to flee abroad, and Portugal officially became the First Republic. On May 1926, a military coup occurred, and Marshal Carmona assumed power, establishing a military dictatorship. Finance Minister António de Salazar organized the “National Union” in 1931 and became Prime Minister in 1932, ruling as a dictator, implementing fascist policies domestically while aligning with Germany and Italy in 1936 to support Franco's rebels attacking the Spanish Republican government. During World War II, it nominally remained neutral while actually being close to the Axis powers.
After the war, Portugal joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in April 1949 and accepted the Marshall Plan in June of the same year. In 1951, it signed a “Military Assistance Agreement” with the United States, followed by various agreements allowing the U.S. to establish military bases in Portugal and its territories. On April 25, 1974, the Carnation Revolution led by a group of junior and middle-ranking officers, the “Armed Forces Movement,” overthrew the 42-year far-right regime, initiating a process of democratization.
In 1986, Soares became the first civilian president in 60 years. Portugal joined the European Economic Community in 1986 and became one of the first countries to join the Eurozone in 1999. On December 20, 1999, according to the joint declaration on the issue of Macau signed by China and Portugal in 1987, sovereignty over Macau was transferred to the People's Republic of China.
