Portugal,[d] officially the Portuguese Republic,[e] is a country in Southwestern Europe. It is a unitary republic made up by mainland Portugal and two autonomous regions, with Lisbon as its capital and largest city. It has a population of over 10.7 million. The mainland is located on the southwestern of the Iberian Peninsula and is bordered by Spain to the north and east; Madeira and the Azores are in the Atlantic Ocean.

Portuguese Republic
República Portuguesa (Portuguese)
Anthem: "A Portuguesa"
"The Portuguese"
  Location of Portugal
  Portugal within the European Union
Capital
and largest city
Lisbon
38°46′N 9°9′W / 38.767°N 9.150°W / 38.767; -9.150
Official languagesPortuguese
Recognised national languagesPortuguese Sign Language
Recognised regional languagesMirandese
DemonymPortuguese
GovernmentUnitary semi-presidential republic
 President
António José Seguro
Luís Montenegro
 Speaker
José Pedro Aguiar-Branco
LegislatureAssembly of the Republic
Establishment
 County
868
24 June 1128[a]
25 July 1139
4–5 October 1143
23 May 1179
1 December 1640
23 September 1822
 Republic
5 October 1910
25 April 1974
25 April 1976[b]
Area
 Total
156,597 km2 (60,462 sq mi)[c] (92nd)
 Land
92,225 km2 (35,608 sq mi)[3]
 Water
64,372 km2 (24,854 sq mi)[4]
 Water (%)
1.2 (2015)[5]
Population
 2024 estimate
Neutral increase 10,749,635[6] (87th)
 2021 census
Neutral decrease 10,343,066[7]
 Density
116.6/km2 (302.0/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2026 estimate
 Total
Increase $567.632 billion[8] (51st)
 Per capita
Increase $52,841[8] (42nd)
GDP (nominal)2026 estimate
 Total
Increase $380.637 billion[8] (45th)
 Per capita
Increase $35,434[8] (40th)
Gini (2025)Positive decrease 30.9[9]
medium inequality
HDI (2023)Increase 0.890[10]
very high (40th)
CurrencyEuro () (EUR)
Time zoneUTC+0 and -1
 Summer (DST)
UTC+1 and +0
Date formatyyyy-mm-dd[11]
Calling code+351
ISO 3166 codePT
Internet TLD.pt

The western Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with the earliest signs of settlement dating to 5400 BC. Portugal was established as a county of the Kingdom of León in 868, and formally as a kingdom in the 12th century as a result of the Reconquista against the Muslims, who had occupied the Iberian Peninsula since 711. A major participant in the Age of Discovery, the kingdom made several advancements in nautical science and maritime exploration to discover new territories and sea routes, which led to the establishment of the Portuguese Empire. The kingdom became a republic in 1910 and was a dictatorship from 1926 until the dictatorship's overthrow in 1974 enabled the full establishment of democracy in 1976.

Portugal is a semi-presidential constitutional unitary republic and multi-party representative democracy with four separate sovereignty bodies: president, government, parliament, and judiciary. It has a unicameral national legislature known as the Assembly of the Republic. Portugal has developed a complex system to manage its territory, even though the mainland continues to remain highly centralised.

A developed country, Portugal has an advanced economy that chiefly relies upon services, industry, and tourism. Shaped by the various civilisations that have inhabited its territory, Portugal developed a culture with a worldwide influence that allowed Portuguese to become the world's fifth-most spoken native language with more than 250 million native speakers. A member of numerous international organizations, Portugal maintains an active role in international political, cultural, economic, and military affairs, guided by a commitment to pacificism.

Etymology

The word Portugal derives from Latin Portus Cale, meaning 'port of Cale', itself the origin of Porto, while Cale was a town on the Douro. The commonly accepted explanation regarding the etymology of Cale is that it is an ethnonym derived from the Gallaeci peoples, who occupied the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula.[12][13]

Around 136 BC, the Romans, during the Second Punic War, conquered Cale from the Carthaginians and renamed it Portus Cale.[14][15] During the Middle Ages, the region around Portus Cale became known by the Visigoths as Portucale and by the Suebi as Parochiale.[15] The name Portucale evolved into Portugale; by the 11th and 12th centuries Portugal was used to refer to the region between the Douro and Minho rivers.[16]

History

Prehistory

The region has been inhabited by humans since approximately 400,000 years ago.[f] Neanderthals roamed the southwestern Iberian peninsula until 37,000 years ago, and a hominin tooth has been found at the Nova da Columbeira Cave in Estremadura.[18] Homo sapiens sapiens arrived in what is now Portugal around 35,000 years ago and spread rapidly.[19] The onset of the Neolithic in the area dates to between 5500 BC and 5300 BC.[20] In southern Portugal, Iron Age inscribed stele have been found, representing the earliest known evidence of writing on the Iberian Peninsula.[21] Pre-Celtic tribes inhabited Portugal and the Lusitanians occupied central, inland regions.[22] Celts inhabited most of the remaining territory of mainland Portugal, leaving lasting traces in the language and culture such as contributing to the formation of Portuguese values and identity, such as saudade.[23][24]

Antiquity and early Middle Ages

Ruins of the Roman Temple of Évora with tall Corinthian columns standing on a raised platform made of rocks in a sunlit town square, set against a bright blue sky, with a medieval tower and white buildings in the background.
The Roman Temple of Évora, built in the 1st century

The Mediterranean coast was well known to the Carthaginians, whose close relations with Phoenician-Punic settlements likely gave them considerable political and economic influence there from the 6th or 5th century BC. After Carthage's defeat by Rome in the First Punic War, it sought new western territories, culminating in the Barcid conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 237 BC.[25]

Romans first invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 218 BC.[26] The Carthaginians were expelled from the peninsula in 206 BC after the Battle of Ilipa.[27][28] Within 200 years, almost the entire Iberian Peninsula had been annexed by the Roman Republic, facing resistance from local tribes, such as the Lusitanians led by Viriathus.[29]

In 409, with the decline of the Western Roman Empire, the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by Germanic tribes.[30] Western Iberia was integrated into the Suebian Kingdom, with its capital at Braga.[31] The Visigoths defeated the Suebi and ruled the peninsula until the early 8th century.[32][33]

In 711, the Iberian Peninsula was invaded from the south by the Umayyad Caliphate, which expanded rapidly and by 716 most of the peninsula was part of al-Andalus.[34] The Umayyads ruled al-Andalus until it fragmented into small states, with the caliphate being abolished in 1031,[34] and most of what is now Portugal falling under the Taifa of Badajoz. These were conquered by the Almoravids, who were in turn conquered by the Almohads.[35][36] Northern incursions also occurred during this period, with Vikings raiding the coast from 844 into the 11th century.[37]

Reconquista and independence

Statue of Vímara Peres
Vímara Peres

The Reconquista was a series of military campaigns by northern Iberian Christian polities against the Muslim-ruled al-Andalus.[38] It began with the defeat of Umayyad forces at the Battle of Covadonga by legendary Pelagius, a Visigothic nobleman.[39][40] In 868, the region between the Minho and the Douro rivers was secured from the Moors and constituted as the County of Portugal under Vímara Peres.[41] The first county of Portugal lasted until it was abolished following the Battle of Pedroso, in 1071.[42] In 1096, Alfonso VI of León refounded the county and bestowed it on Henry of Burgundy, who married Alfonso's illegitimate daughter, Teresa of León.[43]

Medieval miniature of King Afonso I
King Afonso I

A dispute erupted after the death of Count Henry in 1112, culminating in the Battle of São Mamede in 1128 whereby Afonso Henriques defeated the forces of his mother Countess Teresa and her lover Fernando Pérez de Traba, establishing himself as sole leader of the county.[44] In 1139 he won the Battle of Ourique and took the title of King.[45] Afonso's claim is documented as having been recognized by Alfonso VII of León at the Conference of Zamora in 1143, and by Pope Alexander III in 1179 through the papal bull Manifestis Probatum.[46][47][48]

With the support of north-European crusaders and Christian military orders, Afonso Henriques and his successors continued pushing south until the capture of Algarve, which was concluded in 1249.[49][50] With minor readjustments, Portugal's borders have largely remained the same since the signing of the Treaty of Alcanizes in 1297, making it one of the oldest established international borders in Europe.[51] Between 1348 and 1349 Portugal was devastated by the Black Death, as with the rest of Europe.[52] In 1373, during the reign of King Ferdinand I and in the midst of the Fernandine Wars, Portugal made an alliance with England, which would be later strengthened by the signing of the Treaty of Windsor, making it the oldest standing alliance in the world.[53][54]

Age of Discovery

Painting showing 10 Portuguese vessels near a fortified walled town with a tower rising above the harbor where several vessels lie at anchor, wooded hills stretch into the background, and a distant island appears offshore, with colors shifting from brown-green in the foreground to blue in the distance.
The Portuguese Carracks Off a Rocky Coast painting displays Portuguese vessels of the Discovery Age during the 16th century.

In 1383, John I of Castile and Beatrice of Portugal, the only surviving legitimate child of Ferdinand I of Portugal, claimed the throne of Portugal.[55] John of Aviz led a revolt against him and defeated the Castilians in the Battle of Aljubarrota, with the House of Aviz becoming the ruling house that led Portugal to prominence in European politics and culture.[56][57][58][59] Portugal acquired its first colonies by conquering Ceuta in 1415.[60] The country led the European exploration of the world under the sponsorship of Prince Henry the Navigator,[61][62] and made several advancements in nautical science.[63][g]

Portugal was the first and the last colonial power, and by the mid-16th century it controlled a network of possessions stretching from Lisbon to Japan and Timor through Brazil.[65] Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, Portuguese explorers sailed the coast of Africa, establishing trading posts for commodities especially gold and slaves, explored the Indian Ocean and eastern Asia, established trade routes in most of southern Asia taxing most trade criss-crossing the Indian Ocean.[66][67][68] The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, divided the newly located lands outside Europe between Portugal and Spain along a line west of Cape Verde and the 1529 Treaty of Zaragoza, divided the Pacific Ocean between the two countries.[69] In 1498, Vasco da Gama reached India by sea.[70] In 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral landed in Brazil and claimed it for Portugal.[71] Between 1519 and 1522, Ferdinand Magellan organised a Spanish expedition to the East Indies that resulted in the first circumnavigation of the globe.[72] In the 15th century, Portugal established the first transatlantic slave-trade circuits and became the longest-active and second-largest participants in the Atlantic slave trade by the mid-19th century.[73]

Iberian Union and Restoration

The coronation of King John IV in Lisbon

The 1578 death of King Sebastian in battle and the subsequent 1580 death of his great-uncle, King Henry, left the Portuguese throne without a direct heir, precipitating a dynastic crisis.[74] Philip II of Spain claimed the throne on the grounds that his mother, Isabella of Portugal, was a Portuguese princess, and in 1580 he was crowned king of Portugal,[74] forming a personal union of the two kingdoms,[h] depriving Portugal of an independent foreign policy and leading to its involvement in the Eighty Years' War.[74] The Dutch-Portuguese War accelerated the decline of Portugal's Indian Ocean trade monopoly between 1595 and 1663.[76][77]

On 15 December 1640, John, Duke of Braganza, was proclaimed king following an uprising led by disgruntled nobles on 1 December [pt], ending the Iberian Union under the House of Habsburg, and beginning the rule of the House of Braganza.[78] Following its defeat in the Portuguese Restoration War, Spain recognised Afonso VI as king of Portugal.[79][80] During the reign of John V, the large influx of Brazilian gold into the royal treasury, chiefly through the royal fifth, produced a resource curse that weakened industry and cereal production, created a gold rush from Portugal to Brazil, and led to prolonged economic stagnation, permanent reduction of income growth, and the interruption of the institutional and economic progress achieved in the 17th century.[81]

After the depletion of gold revenues, Portugal was left with a weak industrial base and backward institutional and educational structures, a condition exacerbated by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, who was the de facto ruler after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Pombal's failed industrialisation efforts, education policies that weakened human-capital formation, and expulsion of the Jesuits, reducing student numbers and contributing to Portugal's decline in literacy. Pombal's instrumentalisation of the Inquisition for political purposes, helping to entrench an extractive system that outlasted his rule. The nature of the existing political institutions contributed to Portugal's sustained divergence from Western Europe despite comparable family values and high state capacity, with partial recovery beginning around the mid-20th century.[81]

Constitutional monarchy

 A large historical painting shows a crowded parliamentary chamber in the middle of a heated debate during the Constituent Cortes of 1820. Dozens of formally dressed men gesture, argue, and rise from their seats beneath towering crystal chandeliers and a richly decorated ceiling, while officials sit at a central desk below a grand canopy and throne.
The Constituent Cortes of 1820 approved the first constitution of Portugal.

In 1807, Portugal refused Napoleon's demand to join the Continental System of embargo against the United Kingdom; an invasion led by French General Junot followed, and Lisbon was captured in 1807.[82][83] During the Napoleonic invasions, the Portuguese royal family transferred the court to Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, making it the capital between 1808 and 1821.[84] British intervention in the Peninsular War helped support Portuguese independence, and all French troops were expelled by 1812.[85]

In 1820, an uprising in Porto sought to establish a constitution for Portugal and led to the return of King John VI and his court to mainland Portugal in 1821.[86] Although the 1822 Constitution was adopted, the process was marked by compromise and efforts at consensus, which allowed absolutist forces to regain strength, culminating in Miguelist counter-revolts against liberalism, prompting Prince Miguel's exile.[86][87] After John VI's death in 1826, his eldest son, Pedro I of Brazil, briefly reigned as Pedro IV of Portugal, granted the 1826 Charter, and abdicated in favour of his minor daughter, Maria da Glória, on the condition that she marry Miguel, who was appointed regent.[88] Although Miguel's return was under the condition of swearing allegiance to the Charter, he soon dismantled liberal institutions and was proclaimed king in 1828, leading to the Liberal Wars, after which Pedro forced Miguel's abdication in favour of Maria and his exile causing absolutist ideology to wane.[88] Under the constitutional monarchy, the country faced economic crises, political instability, and several coups d'état.[89] At the same time it expanded its colonies in Africa, but this culminated in the 1890 British Ultimatum, which thwarted Portugal's imperialist ambitions and represented a devastating blow to the monarchy.[90]

First Republic and Estado Novo

Black-and-white photograph of José Relvas proclaiming the Republic together with several formally dressed men leaning over the balcony railing of Lisbon City Hall and looking down onto a square surrounded with buildings.
José Relvas proclaiming the republic on 5 October 1910, at Lisbon City Hall

In 1908, King Carlos I and his son and heir, Luís Filipe, Prince Royal, were assassinated by republican sympathizers.[91] In 1910, the monarchy was replaced with a republic.[91] During World War I, Portugal fought for the Allies.[92] However, the war increased political instability and deepened the economic crisis creating further chaos and unrest during the First Republic.[93][94] These conditions led to the overthrow of the Republic in 1926 and the establishment of the Ditadura Nacional, which eventually evolved into the right-wing dictatorship of the Estado Novo, under António de Oliveira Salazar, in 1933.[95][96]

During the Estado Novo, Portugal remained neutral in World War II, after which the postwar decline of colonial legitimacy and the growth of African independence movements increasingly challenged Portuguese rule overseas.[97][98] The regime introduced reforms intended to strengthen ties between the metropole and the colonies, yet the empire was no unified customs and economic area.[99] Indigenous peoples already second-class citizens, saw limited improvements in living conditions further fueled nationalist movements, ultimately leading to the Portuguese Colonial War from 1961 to 1974.[100][101]

Return to democracy

Black-and-white nighttime photograph of several armoured military vehicles lined up in Rossio Square, with soldiers standing beside them near the Column of Pedro IV and bright neon signs glowing in the background.
Armoured vehicles in Lisbon's Rossio Square, in 1975

On 25 April 1974, the Carnation Revolution overthrew the Estado Novo regime, initiating the transition to democracy and also the dissolution of the Portuguese empire, from the independence of the African colonies to the Handover of Macau in 1999.[102][101][103] Portugal was governed by a succession of unstable provisional governments, with a lot of social and political tension, during the Ongoing Revolutionary Process (PREC), until the failed coup of 25 November 1975, which paved the way for the approval of a new Constitution and the holding of new elections.[102]

After the transition to democracy, Portugal set about to remove the early aspects of socialism from the revolution period and move towards neoliberalism.[104] In 1986, Portugal joined the European Economic Community (EEC), which led to a considerable growth of its economy.[105] The 2010–2014 Portuguese financial crisis resulted in an international bailout and intense austerity policies, causing lasting social impacts.[106][107]

Geography

A topographic map of Portugal

Portugal comprises a mainland territory located on the southwestern of the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe, commonly referred to as Continental Portugal, as well as the two archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores on the Atlantic Ocean.[108][109] The country covers a total area of 156,597 km2 (60,462 sq mi), more than two-fifths of which consists of territorial sea and internal waters.[3][4][i] Portugal's exclusive economic zone extends 1,727,408 km2 (666,956 mi2), making it the largest in the European Union and the tenth-largest in the world.[4][110] The country's highest point is the summit of Mount Pico, located on Pico Island in the Azores, which rises to an elevation of 2,351 m (7,713 ft) above sea level.[111][j] Despite the country's size, Portugal exhibits a diverse array of geomorphological landscapes as a result of its long geological evolution, shaped by two Wilson cycles, its position relative to plate boundaries, and climatic variability that produced distinct morphoclimatic zones.[113]

Continental Portugal is 67% forests and 24% agricultural. The Portuguese mainland is predominantly low-altitude, with over 70% of the territory lying below 400 m (1,300 ft) and less than 12% rising above 700 m (2,300 ft) of elevation. Its geography is structured by the Tagus River, which enters from Spain and flows into the Tagus Estuary, as 95% of areas exceeding 400 m (1,300 ft) are situated to the north of the river while the regions south of the Tagus, encompassing Alentejo and the Algarve, have 62% of the lands below 200 m (660 ft). The territory north of the Tagus is marked by mountains and plateaus incised by river valleys, whereas the south is distinguished by rolling plains.[114][115]

The Madeira archipelago comprises the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, together with the Desertas and Savage Islands, all of which are of volcanic origin. Approximately one third of Madeira Island lies above 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in elevation, and its landscape is characterised by a dense network of deep valleys with slopes rising several hundred metres, as well as streams that originate in the island's centre and diverge towards the coast, sustained by abundant rainfall. The steep gradient and very high rainfall is a cause of flash floods with high sediment transport.[116]

The Azores is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands which, from west to east, are Flores, Corvo, Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Graciosa, Terceira, São Miguel, and Santa Maria. The islands retain much of their volcanic landforms, most visibly in volcanic cones and in the lakes that shape the scenery of the islands especially São Miguel, Flores, Terceira, Pico, and Corvo. Although rainfall is abundant, most streams in the Azores are temporary, and the predominance of agricultural land use further accentuates the torrential nature of the river regime during periods of intense precipitation.[117][114]

Climate

The Köppen climate types of Portugal

The climate of Portugal is mainly Mediterranean. While the mainland and Madeira show a Mediterranean climate, the Azores mainly have a temperate oceanic climate. Portugal has a diverse variety of regional climates for a country of its size.[118]

The Iberian Peninsula is located at the southern margin of the temperate zone and at the northern margin of the subtropical high-pressure zone. Additionally, Portugal's climate is influenced by the seasonal latitudinal shift of the jet stream, which directly impacts the trajectory of a polar front. Typically in the winter, the jet stream moves southwards and Portugal comes under the influence of the polar front, producing colder temperatures. When the polar front moves northward, Portugal comes under the influence of the stable atmospheric conditions that bring milder weather during the summer.[118]

The high altitude zones of the Azorean islands have a temperate maritime climate while the western Azores have a humid subtropical climate. In parts of Beja and on Porto Santo Island the climate is semi-arid. In the Selvagens Islands the climate is that of a hot desert. Portugal is one of the warmest countries in Europe: the average temperature in mainland Portugal varies from 10–12 °C (50.0–53.6 °F) in the mountainous interior north to 17–19 °C (62.6–66.2 °F) in the south and on the Guadiana river basin, with variations from the highlands to the lowlands.[119]

Wildfires remain a serious challenge in Portugal, where 99% of the cases reported by law enforcement in 2024 were of unknown origin.[120] Between 2014 and 2024, Portugal recorded an annual average of 12,496 fires and 112,455 ha (434 sq mi) burned, making it the European Union country with both the highest average number of wildfires and the greatest average burned area over that period.[121] Climate change is projected to raise average temperatures in Portugal by as much as 4 °C (39.2 °F) by 2100 relative to the 1970–2010 average, with likely consequences for the country's energy supply, particularly by diminishing electricity generation capacity.[122][123]

Biodiversity

A wide view of a forested mountain valley in the Peneda-Gerês National Park under grey clouds, with rocky slopes on both sides, a stream running through the centre, and a small stone bridge partly hidden among the trees
The Peneda-Gerês National Park in Northern Portugal is the only national park in Portugal.[124]

Portugal is located on the Mediterranean basin, the 3rd most diverse hotspot of flora in the world.[125] It is home to 6 terrestrial ecoregions - Azores temperate mixed forests, Cantabrian mixed forests, Madeira evergreen forests, Iberian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests, Northwest Iberian montane forests, and Southwest Iberian Mediterranean sclerophyllous and mixed forests.[126] Over 22% of its land area is included in the Natura 2000 network.[127][128] Eucalyptus, cork oak, and maritime pine together make up 71% of the total forested area of continental Portugal.[129] The Portuguese west coast is part of the four major Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems of the ocean.[130] Portugal has 73% of the freshwater fish species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, the highest proportion for any region in Europe.[131] Among Portugal's protected areas are the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, one of Europe's last remaining stretches of wild coastline, and Montesinho Natural Park, which preserves one of the few thriving Mediterranean mountain landscapes and is an example of successful coexistence between human communities and nature.[132][133]

Geographical and climatic conditions facilitate the introduction of exotic species that later turn out to be invasive and destructive to the native habitats. Around 20% of the total number of extant species in continental Portugal are exotic.[134] Portugal is the 2nd country in Europe with the highest number of threatened animal and plant species.[135] The country as a whole is an important stopover for migratory bird species.[136][137][138] The mammalian species of Portugal such as deer, Iberian ibex, wild boar, red fox, Iberian wolf, and Iberian lynx were once widespread throughout the country, but intense hunting, habitat degradation, and growing pressure from agriculture and livestock largely reduced their populations in the 19th and 20th centuries.[139] Others species, such as the Portuguese ibex, became extinct, but some mammalian species have been re-expanding their native range.[140]

Government and politics

Portugal has been a semi-presidential representative democratic republic since the ratification of the Constitution of 1976.[141][142] The Constitution makes for a separation of powers among four sovereignty bodies: the president, the government, the Assembly of the Republic, and the courts.[143] There is universal suffrage for adults over 18 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elected offices.[144]

The head of state of Portugal is the president who is elected to a five-year term by direct, universal adult suffrage.[145] The president exercises representative functions, carries supervisory and reserve powers, being capable of using its position to shape political opinions and agendas, and promote consensus and dialogue; in addition, the office includes supreme command of the armed forces and is advised by the Council of State.[146][147][148][149][150] The current president of Portugal is António José Seguro; he took office after winning the runoff vote of the 2026 Portuguese presidential election.[151]

Photograph of Belém Palace. A large pale pink palace with tiled roofs sits behind a walled terrace and the Afonso de Albuquerque Square, with statues, trimmed hedges, and a few cars passing along the street in front.
The Belém Palace, residence and workplace of the president

Portugal's legislative body is the Assembly of the Republic, a unicameral parliament.[152] It consists of a single chamber with a minimum of 180 seats and a maximum of 230, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved.[153][152][154] The members of parliament represent the whole country and not the constituencies for which they are elected.[155] As the head of government, the prime minister directs government policy, leads the Council of Ministers which includes ministers and junior ministers that execute government policy, and is appointed by the president in light of electoral results after consulting with the parties with seats in the Assembly of the Republic.[156][157][158] Portugal's current prime minister is Luís Montenegro, who took office after the AD – PSD/CDS Coalition won enough seats to form a minority government following the 2024 Portuguese legislative election.[159] Portugal operates a multi-party system of competitive legislatures at the national, regional, and local levels.[160][161][162] The Assembly of the Republic is dominated by three political parties, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Chega (CH), and the Socialist Party (PS), while the PSD and PS continue to be the dominant parties in the regional parliaments and at the local level.[k] There have been recent trends towards autocratisation.[163][164]

Portugal has a civil law system based on Roman law and on Canon Law and influenced by German civil law.[165] The Constitution is the supreme law of Portugal.[166] In the Portuguese legal system, private civil law and criminal law are codified in the Código Civil and the Código Penal respectively.[167][168] Portugal's court system is organised into judicial, administrative, and fiscal branches with three levels of jurisdiction and separate courts of last appeal, while the Constitutional Court is responsible for constitutional review and oversight of elections, referenda, and political parties.[169]

Administrative divisions

Portugal is a highly centralised unitary state comprising two autonomous regions, as well as seven regions on the mainland. Subnational government in Portugal is currently organised through municipalities (concelhos), civil parishes (freguesias), and 24 intermunicipal communities (comunidades intermunicipais). In the following table, the intermunicipal communities are grouped by region:[170][171][172]

Intermunicipal communities and autonomous regions of Portugal with colored regions

1. Alto Minho
2. Cávado
3. Porto Metropolitan Area
4. Ave
5. Tâmega e Sousa
6. Alto Tâmega e Barroso
7. Douro

8. Terras de Trás-os-Montes


9. Aveiro
10. Viseu Dão Lafões
11. Beiras e Serra da Estrela
12. Coimbra
13. Leiria

14. Beira Baixa


15. Oeste
16. Médio Tejo

17. Lezíria do Tejo


18. Greater Lisbon

19. Setúbal Peninsula

20. Alto Alentejo
21. Alentejo Central
22. Alentejo Litoral

23. Baixo Alentejo


24. Algarve [pt]

25. Madeira
26. Azores

Foreign relations

Diplomatic missions of Portugal[173]
  Countries that host a Portuguese Embassy or Consulate
  Countries that do not host Portuguese diplomatic missions
  Portugal

A member state of the United Nations since 1955, Portugal is a member of almost all major international organizations, and is among the countries that founded NATO in 1949, the OECD in 1961, EFTA in 1960, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) in 1996, an international organisation of countries with Portuguese as an official language.[174][175][176][177][178][179]

Portugal has a stable foreign policy that is the result of its history, geography, and specific foreign policy choices. It is structured around six principal regional and policy priorities: Europe, NATO and relations with the United Kingdom and with the United States, the Portuguese-speaking world, the importance of and support for Portuguese communities abroad, the internationalization of the national economy, and the strengthening of multilateralism. Portugal regards the success of European integration as paramount and is prepared, where a consensus exists among European Union member states, to endorse policies that go against with the country's national interests;[180] it also supports general disarmament, the dismantling of political-military blocs, and the creation of a collective security system aimed at establishing an international order grounded in peace and justice among peoples.[181]

Portugal has two territorial disputes, both of which are with Spain: the Spanish town of Olivenza which has been claimed by Portugal since the 19th century, and the Portuguese Savage Islands which have been claimed by Spain since 1911. Despite causing moments of tension between the two countries, the relationship between the two countries remains excellent.[182][183]

Military

Photograph of NRP Bartolomeu Dias (F333) of the Portuguese Navy docked by the quays of Hernesaari, Helsinki, Finland, with the Portuguese flag flying at the stern and calm blue water stretching out to the open sea beyond.
Portuguese Navy frigate NRP Bartolomeu Dias

The Portuguese Armed Forces consist of three branches commanded by the Estado-Maior-General das Forças Armadas (Armed Forces General Staff) – Marinha (Navy), Exército (Army), and Força Aérea (Air Force).[184] In addition to the three branches of the armed forces, there is the Guarda Nacional Republicana (National Republican Guard), a gendarmerie, comprising 23,042 personnel in 2025, under the authority of both the Defence and the Home Affairs ministries.[185][186] The Portuguese military serves as a self-defence force, takes part in humanitarian and peace missions undertaken by the international organisations to which Portugal belongs, and cooperates in civil defence missions.[187] In recent years, the Portuguese military have carried out several NATO and European Union missions worldwide.[l] The Portuguese military budget in 2025 was estimated at more than $6 billion, representing 2% of GDP.[189]

As of 2025, the three branches numbered 23,589 military personnel.[190] Until 1999, military service was compulsory for men at age 18 becoming officially suspended during peace time and replaced by one mandatory day of sensibilization about the Armed Forces called Dia da Defesa Nacional [pt] (National Defence Day).[191] Since 1992 women may serve in all branches of the armed forces. The Portuguese military became fully professional in 2004.[192] The United States maintains a military presence, with 770 troops in the Lajes Air Base at Terceira Island, in the Azores.[193]

Law enforcement

Photograph of the headquarters of the Judicial Police (PJ). A large modern white-and-grey office building with irregular window patterns stands on a corner under an overcast sky, with parked motorcycles, a few pedestrians, and a crosswalk in the foreground.
The headquarters of the Polícia Judiciária (Judiciary Police), in Lisbon

In Portugal, public prosecution is conducted by the Public Prosecution Service which is headed by the prosecutor general [pt].[194] The main police organisations of Portugal are the Guarda Nacional Republicana (National Republican Guard), the Polícia de Segurança Pública (Public Security Police), a civilian police force that works in urban areas; and the Polícia Judiciária (Judiciary Police), a senior criminal police body, under the authority of the Minister of Justice and endowed with administrative autonomy.[185][195][196]

Portugal has 49 correctional facilities [pt] run by the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services [pt] (DGRSP).[197] The facilities are classified by security level, and by degree of management complexity, and often house inmates with different legal statuses, risk levels, and criminal trajectories within the same facilities.[197] Despite following a reintegration-oriented penal model, Portugal retains high prison occupancy and an average sentence length of 31.3 months.[197]

Human rights

Portugal has a tradition of a humanistic criminal justice.[198] The Portuguese Constitution defines the country as being one that is based on human dignity.[199] It abolished capital punishment and life imprisonment in the 19th century,[198] and forbids extradition in the case of either sentence possibly being imposed.[200] The Portuguese Penal Code provides for a wide range of non-custodial sentences, with the aim of keeping a prison sentence a punishment of last resort. Portuguese penitentiary laws have traditionally been progressive, and based on rehabilitation as the main goal of the implementation of such a sentence.[198]

Since the 1990s, Portugal has strengthened LGBT rights and become one of Europe's most equal countries, although historical isolation continues to shape social acceptance of homosexuality.[201] In 2001, Portugal became the first country in the world to decriminalize the personal possession and consumption of all drugs.[202] Portugal faces issues such as unwarranted use of force by law enforcement,[203] racism and discrimination against minorities,[204] migrant slavery [pt],[205] restrictions on freedom of association and collective bargaining,[206] violations of wage, hour, and overtime laws,[207] and treatment inside prisons.[208]

Economy

Photography of Parque das Nações, in Lisbon. Modern waterfront buildings, including two tall glass-and-concrete towers with sail-shaped white roofs, can be seen across the Tagus River under a blue sky with few thin white clouds. Trees, a riverside promenade, pedestrians, and nearby commercial buildings line the waterfront.
Parque das Nações, in Lisbon; an economic centre in Portugal

Portugal is a high-income country with an advanced economy that follows the Mediterranean model.[209][210][211] The country's economic policy is framed by strategic guidelines called Major Options [pt], which are subsequently implemented through the State Budget.[212] Portugal has the EU's 14th-largest economy by nominal GDP and the 12th-largest economy by PPP-adjusted GDP.[213] Its PPP-adjusted GDP per capita stood at to 81% of the EU average in 2025.[214] As of 2024, the country's service sector contributes the most for its economic output followed the industrial sector and its primary sector.[215] In 2025, Portugal unemployment rate was 5.8%.[216] As of 2024, its poverty rate after social transfers is 15.4% of the population while in 2023, the at-risk-of-poverty rate before social transfers stood at 40.3%.[217][218] The national debt of Portugal is estimated at 89.7% relative to GDP as of 2025.[219]

Portugal is part of the European single market which represents more than 450 million consumers.[220] Portugal replaced the escudo with the euro in 2002.[221] Its monetary policy is set by the European Central Bank.[222] The country has been a part of the Eurozone since its inception.[223] Portugal's central bank is the Banco de Portugal and it is part of the European System of Central Banks.[224] In 2024, Portugal had a combined share of exports and imports that amounted to 90% of its total GDP.[225] As of February 2026, Portugal's main export markets were Spain at 26% and Germany at 13.9%. Its main exports are machinery and mechanical appliances, vehicles and other transportation equipment, base metals, and plastics. Portugal's main import markets in 2026 were Spain at 32.9% and Germany at 11.9%. Portugal's main imports are machinery and mechanical appliances, chemical products, agricultural products, and mineral fuels.[226]

Since the 1990s, Portugal's economic model has been based on public consumption and economic development focused on exports, private investment and the development of its high-tech sector. Consequently, business services have overtaken more traditional industries such as wine and cork in export earnings.[227] The PSI, Portugal's stock market index operated by the Euronext Lisbon, includes 16 major Portugal-based companies. Preeminent Portuguese companies include Sonae, Mota-Engil, Corticeira Amorim, The Navigator Company and EDP.[228]

In 2025, Portugal ranked 16th among European Union member states in innovation by the European Innovation Scoreboard, while placing 31st worldwide in the Global Innovation Index.[229][230] In 2024, neuroscience accounted for 12.5% of Portugal's scientific output, the second-highest national share, and the country ranked 23rd worldwide in total neuroscience output.[231] Among the research institutions based in the country are the Gulbenkian Institute of Molecular Medicine, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, and the Champalimaud Foundation which was the world's eleventh top non-profit institution in neuroscience research between 2019 and 2023.[232]

Agriculture and fishery

The harvesting of cork bark. The majority of the world's cork is produced in Portugal.[233]

The Portuguese agriculture sector accounts for 2.9% of the country's total GDP as of 2024.[215] Portugal's agricultural land encompasses an area of approximately 3,697,000 ha (36,970 km2) as of 2023, of which 17.4% is dedicated to organic farming, representing the fifth-highest share worldwide.[234] Despite the extent of the country's agricultural land, the diversity of Portugal's edaphoclimatic and agroecological conditions enables the cultivation of various agricultural products such as wheat, maize, and rice, with each one having an important role in the primary sector, and resulting in an agricultural self-sufficiency rate of 85% as of 2018.[235][236]

Portugal ranks sixth in the world in seafood consumption per capita, with each Portuguese person consuming on average 54 kg (119 lb) of fish in 2023.[237] The high fish consumption in Portugal is due to tradition and cultural roots, politics, dynamics of the fish market system, and geography which makes fisheries and the consumption of seafood products extremely valuable.[238] While Portugal captured 185,000 metric tons of fish in 2019, down from the 222,000 metric tons in 2010, fish and seafood represent the single highest import of biocapacity from abroad, amounting to 1,600,000 global hectares in total.[238]

Industry and services

Volkswagen Autoeuropa cars in the Port of Setúbal

Portugal's industry accounts for 21.2% of the country's total GDP as of 2024, down from an annual average of 26% over the period between 1953 and 1973.[215][239] The lower contribution of manufacturing to Portugal's economy has led to lower real GDP growth rates between 1974 and 2019 than during the period between 1950 and 1973.[239] As of 2025, Portugal's automobile industry produced the biggest share of the country's exports.[226] The automobile industry accounts for 20.2% of the country manufacturing exports and 82.8% of the total value of its exports employing 43.247 workers in 2020.[240]

Portugal's service sector accounted for 76.5% of the country's total economic output as of 2024.[215] Tourism, retail, and telecommunication are all major industries.[228] Tourism is an important industry representing 11.4% of the Portugal's total GDP as of 2024.[241] Portugal attracted 29 million international tourists in 2024,[242] ranking fifteenth in the world in that year for inbound tourism.[243]

Infrastructure

The Alqueva Dam is the largest strategic water reserve in Europe.[244]

Portugal's road network includes a motorway system of 48 motorways, which, as of 2024, ranked as the eighth largest among 42 European countries.[245][246] The country has 37 civil airports,[247] of which fourteen are international airports.[248] As of 2024, passenger and freight rail transport in Portugal operated on 2,526 km (1,570 mi) of active railway lines, with passenger services operated by Comboios de Portugal (CP).[249][250] The Port of Sines is the leading Portuguese port in cargo handling volumes and the country's top container port.[251]

As of 2023, two-thirds of Portugal's energy consumption was supplied from abroad, representing the eleventh-highest level of energy dependency in the European Union.[252] The country is pursuing energy transition and has invested in the development of renewable energy sources such as the world's first commercial wave power farm.[253][254] Portugal has expanded the role of renewable sources in its energy sector, with renewables accounting for 35.2% of energy consumption, up from 21.9% in 2007, and 78.1% of total installed capacity, compared with 59.3% in 2014.[255] In 2021, the country completed the phase-out of coal-fired generation.[256]

Demographics

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, with its metropolitan area the country's second-largest.

Portugal has a population of 10,749,635, of whom 9,205,938 are Portuguese nationals and the remainder are foreign residents at 1,543,697, as of 2024.[6][257] Portugal is steadily aging and has the world's third-highest proportion of elderly citizens, comprising nearly one-fourth of its entire population.[258] With a female share of the population at 52.2%, the country has the fourth-highest proportion of females in the European Union and one of the world's highest.[259][260]

Portugal has a fertility rate of 1.4, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1 and is one of the world's lowest.[6] The country has had a fertility rate below the replacement rate of 2.1 since the 1980s that has led to the country having a median age of 47.3, one of the highest in the world.[261][6][262] As of 2024, 24.3% of the population is aged 65 or older.[6] Despite the effects of net migration, due to low fertility rates Portugal's population is projected to drop to 8.3 million by 2100.[263]

Historically a country of emigration,[264] Portugal has been a net recipient of immigrants since 1993 except between 2011 and 2016 during the Portuguese financial crisis.[265][266][6] Since 2016, Portugal has experienced a marked increase in immigration, with the proportion of non-nationals in the total population rising from 3.5% to 9.8% by 2024, the largest concentrations living in the Algarve and the Lisbon metropolitan area, and with 24.5% of all births registered in 2024 being to foreign-born women.[267][204][268] In Portugal, White Portuguese constitute the largest racial and ethnic group, representing 84.2% of the population, followed by multiracial Portuguese at 3.4%, Black Portuguese at 2.2%, Asian Portuguese at 0.7%, and the Romani at 0.6%.[204]

In 2023, 88% of the Portuguese population lived in urban areas.[269] The capital city, Lisbon, has a population of 575,739 as of 2024. It is part of Lisbon metropolitan area, the biggest metropolitan area of Portugal with 3 million people.[270]

 
 
Largest Municipalities in Portugal
INE 2024 Estimate[270]
Rank Name Region Pop. Rank Name Region Pop.
1LisbonLisbon575,73911OeirasLisbon177,866
2SintraLisbon400,94712SeixalLisbon176,883
3Vila Nova de GaiaNorth312,98413GondomarNorth169,388
4PortoNorth252,68714GuimarãesNorth156,513
5CascaisLisbon222,33915OdivelasLisbon156,278
6LouresLisbon209,87716CoimbraCentral146,899
7BragaNorth203,51917MaiaNorth144,664
8AlmadaLisbon183,64318Vila Franca de XiraLisbon140,711
9AmadoraLisbon181,60719Santa Maria da FeiraNorth140,568
10MatosinhosNorth181,04620Vila Nova de FamalicãoNorth136,704

Religion

Religious affiliation in Portugal with 15 and more years old, according to the 2021 census:[271]
  1. Catholicism (80.2%)
  2. Protestantism (2.10%)
  3. Other Christian (2.40%)
  4. Other religion (1.13%)
  5. No religion (14.1%)

Portugal has been a secular state since 1911 [pt], and it guarantees religious freedom.[272][273][m] Although Portugal has no official religion, the Catholic Church has a long history there that predates the country's formation and can be traced back to the 3rd century.[274] According to the 2021 Census, 80.2% of the Portuguese population with 15 and more years old are Catholic, while 14.1% are nonreligious.[271]

The country has small Protestant, Latter-day Saints, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jehovah's Witnesses [pt], Baháʼí, Buddhist, and Jewish communities. Influences from African Traditional Religion and Chinese Traditional Religion are also felt among many people, particularly in fields related to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional African Herbal Medicine.[n] Even though Portugal has deep ties with Christianity, as of 2019 the majority of its people were shown to be tolerant towards followers of other faiths, with the Muslim community perceiving itself as thoroughly integrated into Portugal and believing that the country provided conditions conducive to smooth integration.[276]

Languages

Photograph of a white street sign mounted on a tan wall reads in Mirandese “Rue de L Cruzeiro” with “Rua do Cruzeiro” written in Portuguese below in script, and a small leaf logo at the top.
A sign in Mirandese in Miranda do Douro

Portuguese is the official and predominantly spoken language in Portugal.[277][278] It is one of 24 official and working languages of the European Union.[279] Portuguese is the fifth-most widely spoken first language in the world, with around 250 million native speakers.[280]

Portuguese Sign Language is officially protected by the country's constitution.[281] The recognised regional languages and dialects include Mirandese, spoken in Terra de Miranda, and Barranquenho, in Barrancos.[281] Portuguese people are typically bilingual, with 67.5% speaking two languages, and rank among the world's most proficient non-native English speakers, with Portugal placed sixth globally for English proficiency in the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index.[282][283]

Education

The University of Coimbra in Coimbra is the first university in Portugal.

Portugal's education system is organised into preschool education; school education, encompassing basic [pt], secondary [pt] and higher education; and extracurricular education [pt], which includes continuing education and literacy initiatives.[284] Optional preschool is provided for all children between three and five years old,[285][286] after which school attendance is compulsary for twelve years.[287] Basic education lasts nine years and is divided into three cycles, while secondary education is organised into academic and vocational pathways.[287] Higher education is provided by universities and polytechnic institutions in accordance with the Bologna Process, with the University of Lisbon being the country’s largest university by enrolment.[288] A general requirement for higher education are the exames finais nacionais do ensino secundário.[289] Most secondary-school students continue their studies at public higher education institutions or the Military Academy, which also awards university degrees.[290][291][292]

Although other European countries began investing in education in the 19th century, Portugal's long-established national identity, stable borders and homogeneous population contributed to a lack of political commitment to educational development until the First Republic in the early 20th century;[293] many of its reforms were subsequently reversed under the Estado Novo, whose deliberate neglect of education contributed to Portugal recording Europe’s highest illiteracy rate in 1964;[294][295] following democratisation in 1974, education became more widely accessible and underwent modernisation.[287] The country lags behind most OECD countries on educational indicators, largely owing to the older working-age generation.[296] Fewer than two-thirds of Portugal's population have completed secondary or higher education.[296] Portugal's adult population aged 16 to 65 records the fifth-lowest level of knowledge and skills in the OECD, whereas school students perform at average levels.[297][298][299] In 2021, the national illiteracy rate among people aged 10 or over stood at 3.1%, ranging from 1.4% to 12.3% across the country’s municipalities.[300] Portugal spent 4.5% of its total GDP on education in 2022.[301]

Health

The Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra in Coimbra is the largest medical complex in Portugal.[302]

Portugal has a predominantly universal tax-funded health care system, called Serviço Nacional de Saúde [pt] (SNS), that operates alongside public-sector health insurance schemes called health subsystems funded mainly through employee and employer contributions, as well as private voluntary health insurance.[303] Primary and hospital care are provided by both public and private entities, with the private sector and complementing services offered by the SNS.[304] In 2023, Portugal's health care was 38% privately funded and 62% government-funded, the 3rd lowest public share on health spending in the European Union.[305] Portugal has among the highest levels of health inequity in the OECD, driven by limited public spending, uneven distribution of services, low household income, long waiting times, and policy shortcomings.[306]

Portugal ranked 23rd in the world in 2024 in life expectancy with 85.4 years for women and 79.8 years for men, and it had an infant mortality rate of 2.7 deaths per 1,000 live births.[307][308] In 2022, the leading cause of death were cardiovascular diseases, at 25.4%.[307] Portugal presents several adverse public-health indicators, including the 3rd lowest share of people reporting good health in the European Union, in 2024, at 54%, the highest alcohol consumption with 11.9 litres (2.6 imp gal; 3.1 US gal) consumed per person, in 2020, and the highest share of adult population living a sedentary lifestyle, in 2022, at 73%, a pattern reinforced by limited active-transport infrastructure and unsafe conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.[309][310] The percentage of the Portuguese population suffering from moderate or severe food insecurity between 2022 and 2024 was on average 11.9%, which makes Portugal the third-highest country in Southern Europe for this indicator where the average stands at 5.9%.[311]

Culture

Photograph of a market stall displaying many brightly painted Barcelos Cockerels with oversized red crests, black bodies, blue bases, and colourful heart-and-dot patterns, arranged closely together on tables.
The Barcelos Cockerel is a common symbol of Portugal

Portugal has developed a specific culture due to, initially before its existence, the influence from various civilisations that have crossed Europe, especially the Mediterranean, and later, during the period of Portugal's engagement in the Age of Discovery which introduced cultural elements from outside of Europe and became a central element of Portuguese national identity.[312][313][90]

Portugal is well known for its heritage and architecture,[314] sacred sites,[314] festivities,[315] poetry,[316] its music (especially the fado),[317] and cuisine (including its wine).[318] As of 2026, UNESCO inscribed seventeen properties in Portugal on the World Heritage List.[319] Portugal's national day is on 10 June, celebrated as the Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas (Portugal, Camões, and Portuguese Communities Day).[320]

Art and architecture

Six paintings attributed to Nuno Gonçalves presenting a 58 people of the Court and various groups of Portuguese society at that time, gathered together around the double figuration of St. Vincent with expressive look of concentration on their faces, engaged in an act of veneration.
The Saint Vincent Panels (c.1450's) by Nuno Gonçalves are the most significant work of Portuguese painting from the 15th century.[321]
Photograph of Belém Tower standing at the water's edge under a cloudy sky, with ornate turrets, carved windows, and a narrow walkway where several people are walking.
The Belém Tower, in Lisbon, is highly representative of the Portuguese discoveries.[322]

The history of visual art in Portugal dates back into the Paleolithic. The earliest evidence showing an attempt at depicting motion was found at the Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde.[323] Over time, foreign and native influences, together with developments in manufacturing, have led to the creation and development of a number of crafts that are typical of Portugal, the most notable of which being the azulejo, talha dourada, and Portuguese pavement,[324][325][326] which formed the basis of some Portuguese architectural styles, such as the Pombaline style.[327]

Historically, religion, specifically Christianity, had an influential role in Portuguese art, as it was a recurrent theme widely employed in many art forms, such as in painting.[321] Throughout the country's history, artwork in Portugal was typically done by local artists who, depending on location, followed different variations in style, giving Portugal a diverse array of artistic styles throughout the country, an example of this being the thatch houses of Santana [pt], in Madeira.[328]

Literature

A sepia-toned portrait drawing of Luís Vaz de Camões in ornate clothing with a large ruffled collar, shown from the chest up against a background with partially visible lettering saying "LVIS DE CAMÕES".
Luís Vaz de Camões, legendary poet of the Portuguese Renaissance

Portugal has a literary tradition that predates the Portuguese language going back into the early 13th century.[329] Portuguese literature developed through song as well as the written page known as cantigas.[330] The cantigas drew practitioners from all social ranging from King Denis I to Martin Codax who was a minstrel.[331] The earliest work of Portugal's literature is the Ora faz ost’o senhor de Navarra, a cantiga de escárnio e maldizer written in Galician–Portuguese by João Soares de Paiva at around the year 1200.[332]

Portuguese literature developed under the influence of both European geopolitical developments and broader European literary traditions. The Hundred Years' War helped foster the development of Portuguese chronicles by Fernão Lopes, which constitute a valuable record of some of Europe's earliest encounters with peoples beyond the continent.[333][334] European medieval chivalric literature, together with didactic religious literature transmitted through adaptations and partial translations, contributed to the development of Portuguese poetry in the translated works of Norman French Arturian narratives.[331][335] Portuguese literature flourished during the Age of Discovery, its most notable example being Os Lusíadas by Luís Vaz de Camões.[336][337] Modern Portuguese literature took shape through the work of Almeida Garrett, one of the early founders of Portuguese Romanticism.[338] Portugal has one Nobel Prizewinning authorJosé Saramago (1998).[339]

Music

Amália Rodrigues was known as the "Queen of Fado"[340]

The history of music in Portugal dates back to the 6th century. The earliest record of a singer in Portugal is from the year 525. Portuguese music initially consisted mostly of liturgical music and troubadourism.[341] Over time, new folk traditions together with the influence of foreign cultures and the creation of new instruments, especially guitars [pt], led to a diverse variety of regional folk music such as the fado, the Coimbra fado, and Madeira's folk music.[342][343][344]

Popular music in Portugal after the Carnation Revolution has been heavily influenced by American trends, which has led into the evolution of Hip-hop tuga and popularization of Rock.[345] Historically, Portugal has been a country of emigration which has heavily influenced the Pimba in the 20th century and led to the introduction of Portuguese music into other cultures such as the ukelele in Hawaii in the 19th century.[346][347]

Holidays and festivities

A group of people celebrate the Entrudo [pt], in Vinhais

Officially, Portugal has thirteen national, government-recognised holidays.[348] Public holidays in Portugal are regulated by the Labour Code [pt].[349] Besides the national holidays, there are three regional holidays celebrated only in Madeira and the Azores and two facultative holidays which are the Entrudo [pt] and one municipal holiday allowed per concelho.[350] Unlike some official holidays, Portugal's folk festivities remain widely attended and are rooted in local traditions, such as the Carnival of Ovar, Lisbon's Marchas Populares, and Porto's Festa de São João.[348][351] Many of folk festivities are associated with the Santos Populares, Christian celebrations with older pagan origins linked to Midsummer.[352] Today, these festivities are celebrated across the country, especially in rural areas, and typically include music performances, stages, temporary arenas, and traditional food stalls.[353]

Cuisine

Photograph of a bakery display case filled with pastéis de nata, with a sign in front labelled “Pastel de Nata” and describing them as a low-sugar secret recipe in Portuguese and English.
Pastéis de nata

Portuguese cuisine is influenced by both the Mediterranean and Atlantic diets.[354] Seafood, brassicas, potatoes, bread, dairy, and olive oil are traditional staples.[355] Bacalhau has such a broad presence in Portugal that it is considered a national dish, along with the pastel de nata.[356][357] Traditional Portuguese sweets are known as conventual sweets. Large quantities of sugar and eggs are used.[358]

Popular Portuguese beverages include its wines, a craft that is well establish since the 7th century, and of which are such notable examples as Port and Madeira.[359][318] Beer has been brewed in Portugal since the Chalcolithic.[360] Tea has been produced on São Miguel Island since the 19th century.[361]

Sport

Cristiano Ronaldo is widely considered one of the greatest football players of all time.

Portugal has contributed to the popularity and globalisation of sport through internationally recognised athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardinho, Naide Gomes, and Carlos Lopes, as well as through the popularity of its three largest football clubs.[362][363] Football is the most popular sport in Portugal.[364] The Portugal men's national football team won the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.[365][366][367]

Portugal is among the world's leading futsal countries,[368] with its men's national team having won the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 2021,[369] the UEFA Futsal Championship in 2018 and 2022,[370][371] and the Futsal Finalissima in 2022.[372] In athletics [pt], the country has set several records and has earned more medals in this sport than in any other at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.[373][374][375] In traditional sport, Portugal is noted for its classical dressage as well as native sports such as jogo do pau and jogo da malha [pt].[376][377] Portugal has several established sporting centres across the country, including the Algarve and Lisbon, which are international golf destinations and have hosted motorsport events such as Formula One and Grand Prix motorcycle racing,[378][379][380] as well as Nazaré and Peniche, which are known for surfing and annually host the TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge [es] and the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, respectively.[381][382][383]

See also

Notes

  1. The modern day concept of sovereignty or declaration of independence did not exist at the time, nor was established any notion of its recognition. Portugal was recognised as a kingdom with its own King in 1179 by the Pope who was the ultimate authority in Europe at the time. The way Europe was seen at the time was as a Res publica christiana.[1]
  2. Portuguese Constitution adopted in 1976 with several subsequent minor revisions, between 1982 and 2005
  3. The territory of Portugal includes its land, internal waters, and territorial sea.[2]
  4. European Portuguese pronunciation: [puɾtuˈɣal]
  5. Portuguese: República Portuguesa, IPA: [ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈgezɐ]
  6. The earliest human trace found in Portugal is the 400,000-year-old Aroeira 3, a Homo heidelbergensis skull discovered in the Cave of Aroeira in 2014.[17]
  7. The Portuguese devised the volta do mar navigational technique, which enabled safe roundtrip voyages in open sea; this was a major turning point in world history, as it meant that voyagers could now return from long distant places, marking a leap from coastal hugging to deep-sea, long-range navigation, which consequently contributed to further advancements in nautical science and cartography, without that discovery European colonial empires could not have been established.[64]
  8. Portugal continued to be independent during the Iberian Union.[75]
  9. The territory of Portugal includes its land, internal waters, and territorial sea.[2]
  10. The highest peak in mainland Portugal is Torre in Serra da Estrela, at an elevation of 1,993 metres (6,539 ft).[112]
  11. Other parties include the Liberal Initiative, the Left Bloc, the Portuguese Communist Party, LIVRE, the CDS – People's Party, and the People Animals Nature.[160]
  12. Namely in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Mali, Central African Republic, Somalia, Mozambique and East Timor.[188]
  13. The 1976 Constitution guaranteed religious freedom without distinction between denominations and without any specific limits, breaking with earlier regimes of union, secularist neutrality, and preferential relations with the Catholic Church. However, the legal instruments of 1940 were affected in 1975, when it was introduced the dissolubility of Catholic marriage, and remained in force until 2004, when the government and the Holy See agreed a new Concordat.[273]
  14. Chinese medical science is well known in Portugal and is widely accepted by the people. Portugal is the first European Union country that specifically provided legislation for acupuncture and Chinese medical science.[275]

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  40. Fuentes (2024), p. 68.
  41. Lay (2009), p. 7.
  42. Lay (2009), pp. 11–13.
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