Portugal History

History

Portugal's first inhabitants worthy of mention were the Celts and Lusitanians. At the start of the second century BC it was the Romans who entered Portugal and remained there for over 600 years.
In 27 BC Emperor Augustus divided the Iberian Peninsula into three provinces: Tarraconensis, Baetica and Lusitania. Many roads, bridges and places such as Evora and Conimbriga still remind of the Roman influence on Portugal. The greatest Roman legacy, however, is the Portuguese language, with its Latin roots.
After the Romans it was the Moors who entered Portugal through Spain in 711 AD, becoming the rulers of the Iberian Peninsula within a decade. The Moors were in power in Portugal for centuries. Their influence was especially strong in the south and middle of Portugal. For instance, 'Algarve' is a Moorish word, meaning 'west', and the Moors brought the Islamic culture to Portugal. The Portuguese cuisine and Portuguese construction have also been heavily influenced by the Moors.
In 1249 Portugal's current national borders were established, when King Afonso III of the House of Burgundy conquered the last Moorish strongholds.
The House of Burgundy was followed by the House of Aviz, when João I came to the throne. His son Henry the Navigator laid the foundation for the Portuguese empire. Portugal became the principal maritime power of Europe, resulting in the emergence of a number of important Portuguese explorers: Vasco de Gama (discovered the ocean route to India) and Pedro Alvares Cabral (discovered Brazil). After an unsuccessful campaign against the Moors in Marocco in 1578, Portugal fell into decline and came to be under Spanish rule in 1580.
After a period of Spanish rule, during which Portugal fell more and more into decline – one of the main reasons being its involvement in Spanish wars – Portuguese nationalism overcame the rule of the Spaniards in 1640. With the duke of Braganca being crowned King João IV, the House of Braganca was established.
In the 19th century AD Portugal was a constitutional monarchy with a liberal constitution. In actual practice, however, this was hardly noticeable; the rural population lived under almost feudal circumstances and financial scandals of the government were the order of the day. In the second half of the 19th century Portugal built up a large colonial empire in Africa. Portugal remained inferior to more powerful countries, however.
In 1878 the Republican Party was founded. In 1908 King Carlos I and his successor were assassinated by the Republicans. In 1910 the republic was finally proclaimed and Teófilo Braga became Portugal's first President.
However, Portugal remained politically unstable, even after becoming a republic, and the country has had more than 44 governments, and went through 20 coup d'états and 12 Presidents in 16 years' time. It did not get any better when Portugal participated in the First World War in 1916. The country suffered many losses in that war and its economy got bogged down. Governmental crises and strikes were among the consequences. What's more, Portugal was forced to negotiate international loans under humiliating conditions.
But in 1926 the tide turned, when general Carmona became President during the right nationalist revolution. Carmona then hired the economist António de Oliveira de Salazar in his Ministry of Finance. As a result of his drastic measures, Portugal started to be better off and even got national surpluses.
In 1932 Salazar became Prime Minister and introduced a fascist state model, after Mussolini's example in Italy. Under his regime Portugal entered the United Nations and NATO. But Portugal also suffered under Salazar, as the country became entangled in a triple colonial war, the result being a stagnating economy and increasing resistance. The Movement of the Armed Forces (MFA), an opposition movement within the armed forced, eventually interfered.
In 1974 the Carnation Revolution took place. This put into action a process that made Portugal a political democracy in only a few years' time.
In 1976 the new constitution took effect. Mario Soares became Prime Minister and tried to keep the country out of economic trouble by focusing on Europe and adapting Portugal to the new conditions in the country and in Europe. In 1986 Portugal therefore became a full member of the European Community.
In the nineties of the previous century, fast economic growth took place, improving the standard of living in Portugal. Portugal previously had the lowest standard of living of democratic Europe. Over the years Portugal even did so well that the country chaired the EU in 2007 and that the Portuguese people voted for the new treaty of the EU in large numbers.