History of Portugal

Portugal's history goes back to the Celts, who settled on the Iberian Peninsula around 700 BC. The region was then invaded by the Romans and later the Moors and remained under the latter’s control until the 11th century, when Ferdinand, ruler of the Kingdom of Leon and Castilla (in what is now Spain) conquered much of the territory, driving the Moors out and fixing the boundaries of Portugal. In 1143 Portugal was recognised as an independent country under the rule of King Alfonso Henriques.

The Castilians were expelled in 1385 after defeat at the hands of João of Aviz, who later became King João I, at the Battle of Aljubarotta. In the 15th Century Portugal entered a phase of overseas expansion and built colonial empires in Africa, Latin America, India and the Far East. This was a time of Portuguese power and wealth which faded towards the end of the 16th Century when Spain’s Felipe II claimed the throne. At the end of the 18th Century Napolean’s forces tried to invade Portugal but were forced out by the Anglo-Portuguese alliance. During the 19th Century the economy weakened and republicanism took over. The monarchy was dissolved in 1919 and a democratic republic was founded. This phase lasted until 1926 when a military coup started a long period of dictatorship under António de Oliveira Salazar – ending in 1968. Salazar’s successor, Marcello Caetano managed to ease the restrictions on domestic political activity. The strain of fighting several different nationalist movements in Africa however lowered army morale and government finances. On April 25, 1974, a group of radical army officers deposed Caetano in a bloodless coup and the African colonies were immediately abandoned, resulting in a flood of over 500,000 refugees into the country.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s Portugal went through a difficult and unstable time until entry into the European Community (EC) in 1986 restored some measure of stability. Portugal's last overseas territory, Macau, was handed over to the Chinese in 1999. The governing Socialist Party was returned to power in the 1999 elections despite a campaign overshadowed by events in East Timor. Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio was returned as President in parliamentary elections in January 2001.