Portugal is not only one of the continent's most fascinating countries but also the westernmost country of mainland Europe: Cabo da Roca, near Lisbon, is its outermost point. Facing the Atlantic Ocean along its whole length, with about 830 kilometres of mainland coast, it borders only Spain, to the north and east. The mainland is a strip about 560 kilometres long and 110 to 220 wide, descending from the uplands of the Spanish Meseta to the Atlantic coast. The two archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, autonomous regions, are also part of the country.
With about 10.7 million inhabitants, the country has its two big metropolitan areas in the capital, Lisbon, and Porto, home to almost half the population. Portuguese, born in this land, is now spoken by more than 250 million people worldwide, from Brazil to Angola and Mozambique.
The country in brief
The north, with the Minho and Trás-os-Montes, is green, rainy and mountainous, a land of granite, vineyards and small villages; the country was born here, around Guimarães and Braga. The centre, with the Beiras, alternates the mountains of the Serra da Estrela, the highest peak on the mainland, with university cities such as Coimbra. The south is dominated by the great plains of the Alentejo, with cork oaks, olive groves and white towns such as Évora, down to the Algarve, the coast of beaches and golden cliffs. Between north and south, the Tagus valley and the Lisbon region bring together the capital, royal palaces and the sea.
From empire to democracy
Thanks to its position, over the centuries the small kingdom of Portugal gained extraordinary seafaring experience, which from the fifteenth century allowed it to open the ocean routes to Africa, India and Brazil and to build a vast colonial empire with possessions on every continent. The last African colonies became independent in 1975 and the last territory, Macau, was returned to China in 1999.
In the twentieth century the Estado Novo dictatorship, associated above all with António de Oliveira Salazar, lasted more than forty years and kept the country on the margins of Europe's progress. It ended with the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974, an almost bloodless military coup that opened the way to democracy. To find out more, read our history of Portugal.
Portugal in Europe
On 1 January 1986 Portugal joined the European Economic Community together with Spain, and in 1999 it was among the founding members of the euro. Since then it has caught up strongly with Europe's more advanced countries, with major investment in motorways, education and services. The debt crisis of 2010-2014, which required an international bailout, was a very hard time; in the following years the economy recovered, driven by tourism, exports and renewable energy, and the public finances were put back in order. The country's rich local traditions have remained alive and valued.
Today Portugal is considered one of the safest countries in the world and has become a much-loved place to live, work remotely or retire, with about one and a half million foreign residents. The flip side is the sharp rise in housing costs, especially in Lisbon and Porto: see our page on the cost of living.
Why visit
As in neighbouring Spain, tourism plays a very important role in the economy. Portugal offers a remarkable variety of attractions: charming small towns, lively big cities, splendid ocean beaches, castles and monasteries, Manueline architecture and facades covered in azulejos, painted ceramic tiles. Summer is sunny and dry, spring and autumn mild, crime is low, and there are many events and folk festivals.
It is a beautiful, varied and friendly country, with courteous and hospitable people, ideal for a holiday in any season. You can wander through the medieval quarters of Lisbon, Porto, Braga or Coimbra, surf Atlantic waves, walk the cliffs of the Costa Vicentina or the levadas of Madeira, listen to fado in a tavern, visit country fairs and festivals where folk traditions come alive, taste port wine in the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia and dine on fresh grilled fish. To find your way around, see our map of Portugal.
For an up-to-date picture see Portugal today and, to discover the country, UNESCO heritage, natural parks and the historic villages.