Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. It is a unitary republic made up by mainland Portugal and two autonomous regions, with Lisbon as both its capital and largest city. It has a total population of over 10.7 million. The mainland is bordered by Spain to the north and east, with Madeira and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. The mainland includes the westernmost point of continental Europe. The western Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with the earliest signs of settlement dating to 5500 BC. Portugal was initially established as a county of the Kingdom of León in 868, and formally as a kingdom in 1179, resulting from the Reconquista against the Muslims. The kingdom later became one of the main participants of the Age of Discovery, made several seminal advancements in nautical science, and was among the first European countries to explore and discover new territories and sea routes, establishing settlements, colonies, and trading posts. After the kingdom became a republic in 1910, Portugal lived under a dictatorship from 1926 until the dictatorship's overthrow in 1974 enabled the full establishment of democracy in 1976. It 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 centralized. A developed country, Portugal has an advanced economy that chiefly relies upon services, industry, and tourism. Shaped by the various civilisations that have crossed its territory, Portugal developed a specific 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. == Etymology == The word Portugal derives either from Latin Portus Cale, meaning 'port of Cale', or Latin Portus Gale, 'warm harbor', itself the origin of Porto. Cale was a town on the Douro. The second derivation would have referred to the fact that the harbor at Porto is always free of ice. The meaning and origin of the word Cale is unclear. The usual explanation is that it is an ethnonym derived from the Gallaeci peoples, who occupied the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. Around 136 BC, the Romans, during the Second Punic War, conquered Cale from the Carthaginians, renaming it Portus Cale. During the Middle Ages, the region around Portus Cale became known by the Suebi and Visigoths as Portucale. The name Portucale evolved into Portugale during the 7th and 8th centuries, and by the 9th century it was used to refer to the region between the Douro and Minho rivers. By the 11th and 12th centuries, Portugale, Portugallia, Portugallo, or Portugalliae were already referred to as Portugal. == History == === Prehistory === The region has been inhabited by humans since approximately 400,000 years ago. Later Neanderthals roamed the northern Iberian peninsula, and a humanoid tooth has been found at the Nova da Columbeira cave in Estremadura. Homo sapiens sapiens arrived in Portugal around 35,000 years ago and spread rapidly, with the earliest signs of human settlement dating to 5500 BC. Pre-Celtic tribes inhabited Portugal. The Cynetes developed a written language, leaving stele, which are mainly found in the south. The Lusitanians occupied central, inland regions. Celts mainly inhabited the north and center of Portugal, leaving lasting traces in the language and culture. === Antiquity and early Middle Ages === Romans first invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 219 BC. The Carthaginians, Rome's opponent in the Punic Wars, were soon expelled from their coastal colonies. During Julius Caesar's rule, almost the entire peninsula was annexed to Rome, facing resistance from local tribes, notably the Lusitanians led by Viriathus. In 409, with the decline of the Roman Empire, the Iberian Peninsula was occupied by Germanic tribes. Western Iberia was initially integrated into the Suebian Kingdom, with its capital at Braga. The Visigoths eventually defeated the Suebi and ruled the entire peninsula until the early 8th century. The Iberian Peninsula was then invaded from the south by the Umayyad Caliphate and most of it became part of al-Andalus in 726. After defeating the Visigoths, the Umayyad Caliphate expanded rapidly in the peninsula. Beginning in 726, the land that is now Portugal became part of the Umayyad Caliphate until the caliphate's collapse in 750. That year the western part of the caliphate gained its independence under Abd al-Rahman I, with the establishment of the Emirate of Córdoba, which lasted until 1031, with its dissolution into 23 small kingdoms. Most of present-day Portugal fell into the hands of the Taifa of Badajoz, and in 1022 the Taifa of Seville. Those petty kingdoms were conquered by the Almoravids in 1086, then by the Almohads in 1147. Invasions from the north also occurred in this period, with Vikings raiding the coast, including Lisbon, between the 9th and 11th centuries. The Viking raids resulted in the establishment of small Norse settlements on the coastline between Douro and Minho. === Reconquista === The Reconquista was a series of military campaigns by northern Iberian Christian polities against Muslim-ruled al-Andalus. A Visigothic nobleman, Pelagius, defeated the Umayyad forces in the Battle of Covadonga in 718 and established the Kingdom of Asturias in the northern part of the peninsula, starting the Reconquista. In 868, Porto was conquered from the Moors by Vímara Peres, a knight and nobleman, on the orders of King Alfonso III of Asturias, with Peres becoming the first Count of Portugal. Finding many towns in the region deserted, Peres decided to rebuild and repopulate them. The region became known as Portucale, Portugale, and Portugália. With the forced abdication of Alfonso III in 910, the Kingdom of Asturias split into three separate kingdoms, which were reunited in 924 under the crown of León. The first County lasted until 1071, when the Kingdom of Galicia took over the region following the Battle of Pedroso. In 1096, Alfonso VI of León refounded the county and bestowed it on Henry of Burgundy, who married to Alfonso's illegitimate daughter, Teresa of León. === Independence === After the death of Count Henry, in 1112, a dispute erupted, culminating in the Battle of São Mamede, in 1128, where Afonso Henriques defeated the forces of his mother Countess Teresa and her lover Fernão Peres de Trava, establishing himself as sole leader of the county and achieving de facto independence. In 1129, the capital was transferred from Guimarães to Coimbra. Afonso's campaigns were successful, and in 1139, he was victorious in the Battle of Ourique, so was proclaimed King of Portugal by his soldiers. In 1143, Afonso was recognised as Afonso I, king of Portugal, by King Alfonso VII of León, and in 1179 by Pope Alexander III, with the papal bull Manifestis Probatum. Afonso Henriques and his successors, aided by military monastic orders, continued pushing south until the capture of Algarve in 1249. With minor readjustments, Portugal's borders have since remained the same, making it one of the oldest established countries in Europe. In 1348-49 Portugal, as with the rest of Europe, was devastated by the Black Death. In 1373, Portugal, during the reign of King Ferdinand I, in the midst of the Fernandine Wars, 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. === Age of Discovery === 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. John of Aviz led a revolt against them and defeated the Castilians in the Battle of Aljubarrota, with the House of Aviz becoming the ruling house that led Portugal into the limelight of European politics and culture. Portugal spearheaded the European exploration of the world under the sponsorship of Prince Henry the Navigator, and made several seminal advancements in nautical science. The Portuguese explored the Indian Ocean, established trade routes in most of southern Asia, and sent the first direct European maritime trade and diplomatic missions to China and Japan. In 1415, Portugal acquired its first colonies by conquering Ceuta. Throughout the 15th century, Portuguese explorers sailed the coast of Africa, establishing trading posts for commodities that ranged from gold to slavery. 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. In 1500, Gaspar Corte-Real reached modern-day Canada and founded the town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's. In 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral landed in Brazil and claimed it for Portugal. Portuguese sailors set out to reach eastern Asia, landing in Taiwan, Japan, Timor, Flores, and the Moluccas. Between 1519 and 1522, Ferdinand Magellan organised a Spanish expedition to the East Indies that resulted in the first circumnavigation of the globe. The Treaty of Zaragoza, signed in 1529, divided the Pacific Ocean between Spain and Portugal. === Iberian Union and Restoration === A succession crisis followed the deaths of King Sebastian and his grand-uncle King Henry, both of whom were without direct male heirs. Philip II of Spain claimed the throne in 1580, under the pretext that his mother, Isabella of Portugal, was a Portuguese princess, and he was crowned king of Portugal, forming a personal union of the two kingdoms, depriving Portugal of an independent foreign policy and leading to its involvement in the Eighty Years' War. The Dutch-Portuguese War resulted in the loss of Portugal's Indian Ocean trade monopoly between 1595 and 1663. On 1 December 1640, John, Duke of Braganza, was proclaimed king following an uprising spearheaded by disgruntled nobles, ending 60 years of the Iberian Union under the House of Habsburg, and beginning the rule of the House of Braganza. Following its defeat in the Portuguese Restoration War, Spain recognized Afonso VI as king of Portugal. The reign of John V saw an influx of gold into the royal treasury, supplied largely by the royal fifth and a gold rush that saw one of the largest movements of people from Europe to an American colony. Lisbon was struck by a major earthquake on 1 November 1755. Following the earthquake, King Joseph I gave his prime minister, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, overarching powers, with Pombai becoming an enlightened despot. === Constitutional monarchy === 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. 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. British intervention in the Peninsular War helped support Portuguese independence, and all French troops were expelled by 1812. In 1820, a constitutionalist insurrection began in Porto, which forced King John VI and his court to return to mainland Portugal in 1821. The death of John in 1826 led to a succession crisis. His eldest son, Pedro I of Brazil, briefly succeeded as Pedro IV of Portugal, but neither the Portuguese nor the Brazilians wanted a reunified monarchy. Consequently, Pedro abdicated the Portuguese crown in favour of his 7-year-old daughter, Maria da Glória. Dissatisfaction at Pedro's constitutional reforms led the "absolutist" faction of landowners and the church to proclaim his brother Miguel king in February 1828. This led to the Liberal Wars, in which Pedro forced Miguel to abdicate in favour of Maria and to go into exile in 1834. Under the constitutional monarchy, the country faced economic crises, political instability, and several coups d'état. 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. === First Republic and Estado Novo === In 1908, King Carlos I and his son and heir, Luís Filipe, Prince Royal, were assassinated by republican sympathizers. In 1910, the monarchy was replaced with a republic. During World War I, Portugal fought for the Allies; however, the war hurt its weak economy. Political instability and economic weaknesses created chaos and unrest during the First Republic. These conditions led to its overthow in 1926 and the establishment of the Ditadura Nacional, which evolved into the right-wing dictatorship of the Estado Novo, under António de Oliveira Salazar, in 1933. Portugal remained neutral in World War II. From the 1940s to the 1960s, Portugal was a founding member of NATO, OECD, and EFTA; it joined the United Nations in 1955. New economic development projects and relocation of mainland Portuguese citizens into the overseas provinces in Africa were initiated, with Angola and Mozambique being the main destinations. However, indigenous peoples were sidelined by those development projects and made second-class citizens, which led to the emergence of independence movements in Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea in the 1960s, culminating in 1961 in the Portuguese Colonial War, which lasted until 1974. === Return to democracy === On 25 April 1974, the Carnation Revolution overthrew the Estado Novo beginning the transition to democracy. Portugal was governed by a succession of provisional governments, with a lot of social and political tension, during the Ongoing Revolutionary Process (PREC), until the legislative election of 1976. After the transition to democracy, Portugal fluctuated between socialism and neoliberalism. Land reform and nationalisations were enforced; the Portuguese Constitution was rewritten to accommodate socialist and communist principles, most of which being later removed in the constitutional revisions of 1982 and 1989. In 1986, Portugal joined the European Economic Community, the precursor to the European Union. Portugal's economy progressed considerably as a result of European Structural and Investment Funds and easier access to foreign markets. Portugal's last overseas territory, Macau, was handed over to China in 1999. The 2010–2014 Portuguese financial crisis led to an international bailout and intense austerity policies, resulting in social tensions. == Geography == Portugal occupies an area on the Iberian Peninsula and two archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean: Madeira and the Azores. It lies between latitudes 30° and 42° N, and longitudes 32° and 6° W. The Portuguese territory covers 156,597 km2 (60,462 sq mi). Continental Portugal is split by the Tagus, that flows from Spain and disgorges in the Tagus Estuary at Lisbon, before discharging into the Atlantic. The northern landscape is mountainous towards the interior with several plateaus indented by river valleys, whereas the south is characterised by rolling plains. At an elevation of 2,351 metres (7,713 ft), Mount Pico in Pico Island is the highest peak in the country. The archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores are scattered within the Atlantic Ocean: the Azores straddling the Mid-Atlantic Ridge on a tectonic triple junction, and Madeira along a range formed by in-plate hotspot geology. These islands were formed by volcanic and seismic events. The last terrestrial volcanic eruption occurred in 1957–58, and minor earthquakes occur sporadically. The exclusive economic zone covers an area of 1,727,408 km2 (666,956 mi2) being the 3rd largest exclusive economic zone of the European Union and the 20th largest in the world. === Climate === The climate of Portugal is mainly Mediterranean. While the mainland and Madeira show a Mediterranean climate, the Azores mainly has a temperate oceanic climate. Despite its size, Portugal has a diverse variety of regional climates. The Iberian Peninsula is located at the southern margin of the temperate zone and at the northern margin of the subtropical high-pressure zone which is influenced by the seasonal latitudinal shift of the jet stream that directly impacts on the trajectory of the polar front, affecting Portugal's climate. Typically in the winter, the jet stream moves southwards and Portugal becomes under the influence of the polar front, producing colder temperatures. When the polar front moves northward, Portugal becomes under the influence of the stable atmospheric conditions bringing milder weather during the summer. The high altitude zones of the Azorean islands have a temperate maritime climate while the western Azores has humid subtropical climate. In parts of the Beja District and in Porto Santo Island the climate is semi-arid. In the Selvagens Islands the climate is 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. Wildfires are a major issue, with Portugal having the highest percentage of burned area, on average, in the European Union., and its coastal area being vulnerable to climate change and severe weather. === Biodiversity === Portugal is located on the Mediterranean basin, the 3rd most diverse hotspot of flora in the world. It is home to 6 terrestrial ecoregions. Over 22% of its land area is included in the Natura 2000 network. Eucalyptus, cork oak and maritime pine together make up 71% of the total forested area of continental Portugal. Geographical and climatic conditions facilitate the introduction of exotic species that later turn to be invasive and destructive to the native habitats. Around 20% of the total number of extant species in continental Portugal are exotic. Portugal is the 2nd country in Europe with the highest number of threatened animal and plant species. Portugal as a whole is an important stopover for migratory bird species. The large mammalian species of Portugal (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 reduced population on a large scale in the 19th and early 20th century, others, such as the Portuguese ibex were even led to extinction. Today, these animals are re-expanding their native range. The Portuguese west coast is part of the four major Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems of the ocean. This makes Portugal one of the largest per capita fish-consumers in the world. 73% of the freshwater fish occurring in the Iberian Peninsula are endemic, the largest out of any region in Europe. Some protected areas of Portugal include: the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros, the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, and the Montesinho Natural Park which hosts some of the only populations of Iberian wolf and Iberian brown bear. == Government and politics == Portugal has been a semi-presidential representative democratic republic since the ratification of the Constitution of 1976, with Lisbon as its capital. The Constitution grants the division or separation of powers among four sovereignty bodies: the president, the Assembly of the Republic, the government and the courts. The head of state is the president, elected to a five-year term by direct, universal suffrage, the incumbent is António José Seguro. Although largely a ceremonial post, presidential powers include the appointment of the prime minister and other members of the government, dismissing the prime minister, dissolving the parliament, vetoing legislation and declaring war. The president has also supervisory and reserve powers and is the ex officio supreme commander of the armed forces. The president is advised by the Council of State. The Assembly of the Republic is an unicameral parliament composed of a maximum of 230 deputies elected for a four-year term. The government is headed by the prime minister and includes ministers and secretaries of state, that have full executive powers; the current prime minister is Luís Montenegro. The Council of Ministers – under the prime minister and the ministers – acts as the cabinet. The courts are organised into several levels, among the judicial, administrative and fiscal branches. The supreme courts are institutions of last appeal. The Constitutional Court oversees the constitutionality of the laws. Portugal operates a multi-party system of competitive legislatures at the national, regional and local levels. 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. There has been recent trends towards autocratization. === Foreign relations === A member state of the United Nations since 1955, Portugal is a founding member of NATO (1949), the OECD (1961) and EFTA (1960); it left the last in 1986 to join the European Economic Community, which became the European Union in 1993. In 1996, Portugal co-founded the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), an international organisation and political association of Lusophone nations where Portuguese is an official language. Portugal has hosted several international summits and events like the first EU–Brazil summit in July 2007, the second EU–African Union summit in December 2007, the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon also in December 2007, and the NATO summit in November 2010. Portugal was a full member of the Latin Union (1983) and the Organisation of Ibero-American States (1949). It has a friendship alliance and dual citizenship treaty with Brazil. Portugal and the United Kingdom share the world's oldest active military accord through their Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, signed in 1386. === Territorial disputes === Olivenza: Under Portuguese sovereignty since 1297, Olivença was ceded to Spain under the Treaty of Badajoz in 1801, after the War of the Oranges. Portugal claimed it back in 1815 under the Treaty of Vienna. However, it has been ruled by Spain ever since, as it considers Olivenza part of its territory. Savage Islands: A small group of mostly uninhabited islets which fall under Portuguese Madeira's regional autonomous jurisdiction. Found in 1364 by Italian mariners under the service of Prince Henry The Navigator, it was first noted by Portuguese navigator Diogo Gomes de Sintra in 1438. The islands have belonged to private Portuguese owners from the 16th century on, until 1971 when the government purchased them and established a natural reserve area covering the whole archipelago. The islands have been claimed by Spain since 1911, and the dispute has caused some periods of political tension between the two countries. The main problem for Spain's attempts to claim these small islands the fact that they expand Portugal's exclusive economic zone considerably to the south, in detriment of Spain. === Military === The Portuguese Armed Forces have three branches commanded by the Portuguese Armed Forces General Staff – Navy, Army and Air Force. They serve primarily as a self-defence force whose mission is to protect the territorial integrity of the country but can also be used in offensive missions in foreign territories. In recent years, the Portuguese military have carried out several NATO and European Union missions in various territories. As of 2024, the three branches numbered 23,678 military personnel. Portuguese military budget in 2023 was more than $4 billion, representing 1.48% of GDP. The Army of 10,969 personnel comprises 3 brigades and other small units: an infantry brigade, a mechanized brigade and a rapid reaction brigade. The Navy, the world's oldest naval force, has 5 frigates, 2 corvettes, 2 submarines, and 20 oceanic patrol vessels. The Air Force has the Lockheed F-16M Fighting Falcon as the main combat aircraft. In addition to the three branches of the armed forces, there is the National Republican Guard, a gendarmerie force comprising 23,287 personnel by 2023, under the authority of both the Defence and the Interior Ministry. It has provided detachments for participation in international operations in Iraq and East Timor. The United States maintains a military presence with 770 troops in the Lajes Air Base at Terceira Island, in the Azores. === Law and justice === The Portuguese legal system is part of the civil law legal system. The main laws include the Constitution (1976), the Portuguese Civil Code (1966) and the Penal Code of Portugal (1982), as amended. Other relevant laws are the Commercial Code (1888) and the Civil Procedure Code (1961). Portuguese laws were applied in the former colonies and territories and continue to be influences for those countries. The supreme national courts are the Supreme Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court. The Public Ministry, headed by the Attorney General of the Republic, constitutes the independent body of public prosecutors. In 2001, Portugal became the first country in the world to decriminalize personal possession and consumption of all drugs. ==== Human rights ==== In 2003, Portugal added an anti-discrimination employment law on the basis of sexual orientation. In 2004, sexual orientation was added to the Constitution as part of the protected from discrimination characteristics. In 2010, Portugal became the sixth country in Europe and eighth in the world to legalise same-sex marriage at the national level. LGBT adoption was legalized in 2016 as has female same-sex couple access to medically assisted reproduction. In 2017 the Law of Gender Identity, simplified the legal process of gender and name change for transgender people, making it easier for minors to change their sex marker in legal documents. In 2018, the right to gender identity and gender expression self-determination became protected, intersex minors became protected by law from unnecessary medical procedures "until the minor gender identity manifests" and the right of protection from discrimination on the basis of sex characteristics became protected by the same law. Parts of the 2018 law were later repealed in 2026. === Law enforcement === Portugal's main police organisations are the National Republican Guard (GNR), a gendarmerie; the Public Security Police (PSP), a civilian police force who work in urban areas; and the Judicial Police (PJ), a highly specialised criminal investigation police that is overseen by the Public Ministry. Portugal has 49 correctional facilities run by the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP). They include seventeen central prisons, four special prisons, twenty-seven regional prisons, and one 'Cadeia de Apoio' (Support Detention Centre). As of 1 January 2025, the prison population stood at 12,193 inmates, which comes to about 0.11% of the country's entire population. The incarceration rate had a strong increase after 2010, with the prison population surpassing 14,000 inmates by 2013, but after that same year the incarceration rate began to steadily decline, a trend that has continued in recent years. === Subdivisions === ==== Provinces ==== The term provinces (Portuguese: províncias) has been used throughout history to identify regions of continental Portugal. Current legal subdivisions of Portugal do not coincide with the provinces, but several provinces, in their 19th- and 20th-century versions, still correspond to culturally relevant, strongly self-identifying categories. They include: Alentejo (Alto Alentejo, Baixo Alentejo) Algarve Beira (Beira Alta, Beira Baixa, Beira Litoral) Entre Douro e Minho (Douro Litoral, Minho) Estremadura (Estremadura, Ribatejo) Trás-os-Montes The islands of Azores and Madeira were not called provinces, instead they were collectively called adjacent islands. ==== Districts, regions and municipalities ==== Continental Portugal is agglomerated into 18 districts, while the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are governed as autonomous regions; the largest units, established since 1976, are either mainland Portugal and the autonomous regions of Portugal (Azores and Madeira). Administratively, Portugal is divided into 308 municipalities (municípios or concelhos). Operationally, the municipalities, and freguesias, along with the national government, are the only legally local administrative units identified by the government of Portugal. Within the European Union administrative system (NUTS), Portugal is divided into nine regions: the Azores, Alentejo, Algarve, Central Region, Lisbon, Madeira, North Region, Oeste e Vale do Tejo, and Setúbal Peninsula. With the exception of the Azores and Madeira, NUTS areas are subdivided into 24 subregions. == Economy == Portugal is a member of the eurozone with a PPP GDP per capita of 81% of the EU27 average in 2025, and a HDI of 0.890 (the 40th highest in the world) in 2023. It holds the 14th largest gold reserve in the world at its national central bank, with the highest gold share of forex reserves in the world, has the 8th largest reserves of lithium, and total exports representing 46.6% of its GDP in 2024. Portugal's national currency is the euro (€), which started transitioning from the Portuguese Escudo in 2000 and consolidated in 2002. Most industries, businesses and financial institutions are concentrated in the Lisbon and Porto metropolitan areas, plus the areas around these two metro areas. 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 textiles, clothing, footwear and cork (Portugal is the world's leading cork producer), wood products and beverages, like wine and beer.In 2001, the gross agricultural product accounted for 4% of the economy; in 2022 it was 2%. According to FAO, Portugal is the top producer of cork and carob in the world, accounting for about 50% and 30% of world production, respectively. It is the third largest exporter of chestnuts and third largest European producer of pulp. Portugal is among the world's top ten largest olive oil producers and fourth largest exporter. Portugal hosts the Euronext Lisbon stock exchange which includes EDP, Galp, Jerónimo Martins, Mota-Engil, Novabase, Semapa, Portucel Soporcel, Portugal Telecom and Sonae. === Science and Technology === The European Innovation Scoreboard 2025, placed Portugal-based innovation 16th, with increase in R&D government support and resource produtivity. Portugal was ranked 31st in the Global Innovation Index in 2025. Among the largest non-state-run research institutions are the Gulbenkian Institute of Molecular Medicine, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory and the Champalimaud Foundation, one of the leading research centres for neuroscience and oncology in the world. === Tourism === Portugal is among the top 20 most-visited countries in the world, receiving nearly 29 million foreign tourists by 2024. In 2014, Portugal was elected The Best European Country by USA Today. In 2017, Portugal was elected both Europe's Leading Destination and in 2018 and 2019, World's Leading Destination Travel and tourism is an important part of Portugal's economy. As of 2024, the tourism sector contributed 11.9% to GDP, worth €34 billion, with tourism contributing 0.3% to an annual GDP growth of 1.9%. Popular tourism destinations include: Lisbon, Cascais, Algarve, Madeira, Nazaré, Fátima, Óbidos, Porto, Braga, Guimarães and Coimbra. Lisbon is the 9th most visited city in Europe, and with 6,7 million tourists occupying the city's hotels by 2024, of which 5,5 million were foreign. === Transport === Portugal has a 68,732 km (42,708 mi) road network, of which 3,065 km (1,905 mi) are part of system of 48 motorways, making it the 8th largest motorway system among 42 European countries. By 2024, Portugal had 37 civil airports, of which five are the main international airports, three located in the mainland: Lisbon (the busiest in the country), Porto, and Faro airports; while the Funchal airport is located in Madeira, and the Ponta Delgada airport in the Azores. A national railway system that extends throughout mainland Portugal and into Spain, is supported and administered by Comboios de Portugal (CP). Rail transport of passengers and goods is derived using the 2,527 km (1,570 mi) of railway lines currently in service, of which 1,791 km (1,113 mi) are electrified. The major seaports are located in Sines, Leixões, Lisbon, Setúbal, Aveiro, Figueira da Foz, and Faro. The two largest metropolitan areas (Lisbon and Porto) have subway and tram systems. === Energy === As of 2023, oil made up 44% of Portugal's total energy supply. However, the country phased out coal-fired generation in 2021 and has been developing renewable energies such as hydopower and wind power and investing in public transport and electric vehicles. Portugal has considerable wind and hydropower resources. In 2006, the world's then largest solar power plant, the Moura Photovoltaic Power Station, began operating, while the world's first commercial wave power farm, the Aguçadoura Wave Farm, opened in 2008 near Póvoa de Varzim, being, however, shutdown a short time later. There are also offshore floating wind turbine projects, mainly in the coast of Viana do Castelo. In 2025, renewable energy resources were producing 68% of the nation's electricity. Since 2021, electricity imports, mainly from Spain, have outnumbered exports by around 20% as of 2023, with most of the energy coming from renewable sources. == Demographics == As of 31 December 2024, Portugal had a population 10,749,635, of which 52.2% was female and 47.8% male, according to Statistics Portugal. In 2025, the median life expectancy reached 82.95 years, with United Nations projecting a rise of up to 90 years or more by 2100. The population historically has been relatively homogeneous, with most people adhering to Catholicism and speaking Portuguese. Portugal has had a fertility rate below the replacement rate of 2.1 since the 1980s. The total fertility rate (TFR) as of 2024 was estimated at 1.36 children born per woman, one of the lowest in the world. Consequently, Portugal's population has been steadily ageing and was the 11th oldest in the world in 2024, with a median age of 46.4 years and the fourth highest number of citizens over 65 years, at 21.8% of the total population. According to projections by the national statistics office, the population will fall to 7.7 million by 2080 and the population will continue to age. As of 2022, 60.2% of births were to unmarried women, and 24.5% of births were to foreign born women. Portuguese society displays relatively high rates of socioeconomic equality, with the country ranking 24th within the 41 countries of the EU and OECD in the 2019 Social Justice Index. In 2018, Portugal's parliament approved a budget plan for 2019 that included tax breaks for returning emigrants in a bid to attract back those who left during the 2008 financial crisis. According to a Statistics Portugal study conducted between 2022 and 2023, 6.4 million people aged between 18 and 74 years old identified themselves as White (84.2%), more than 262,000 as Mixed-race (3.4%), nearly 169,200 as Black (2.2%), 56,600 as Asian (0.7%), and 47,500 as Romani (0.6%). === Immigration === Historically a country of emigration, Portugal has been a net recipient of immigrants since the early 21st century. As of 2024, legal resident foreigners number 1,543,697, or approximately 14% of the population; these figures do not include more than 340,000 resident foreigners who acquired Portuguese citizenship between 2008 and 2022—and thus constitute around 3.27% of the country's population in 2022. That year, almost 21,000 foreign residents acquired Portuguese citizenship, of which 11,170 were female and 9,674 were male. === Urbanisation === Based on commuting patterns, OECD and Eurostat define eight metropolitan areas of Portugal. Only two have populations over 1 million, and since the 2013 local government reform, these are the only two which also have administrative legal status of metropolitan areas: Lisbon and Porto, Several smaller metropolitan areas (Algarve, Aveiro, Coimbra, Minho and Viseu) also held this status from 2003 to 2008, when they were converted into intermunicipal communities, whose territories are roughly based on the NUTS III statistical regions. === Religion === Portugal is a secular state since 1911, and it guarantees religious freedom. Despite of not having any official religion, the Catholic Church has a long history in the country. According to the 2021 Census, 80.2% of the Portuguese population was Catholic, while 14.7% are nonreligious. The country has small Protestant, Latter-day Saints, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Eastern Orthodox Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baháʼí, Buddhist, Jewish and Spiritist communities. Influences from African Traditional Religion and Chinese Traditional Religion are also felt among many people, particularly in fields related with Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional African Herbal Medicine. There are 13 calendar dates designated by the Portuguese government as national holidays, seven of which celebrate events of the Christian calendar. Many Portuguese holidays, festivals and traditions have a Christian origin or connotation, and most have high levels of participation by the local people. Even though Portugal has deep ties with Christianity, as of 2019, the majority of its people had 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 conducive conditions for smooth integration. === Languages === Portuguese is the official language of Portugal. Mirandese is also recognised as a co-official regional language in some municipalities of North-Eastern Portugal. It is part of the Astur-Leonese group of languages. An estimate of between 6,000 and 7,000 Mirandese speakers has been documented for Portugal. Furthermore, a particular dialect known as Barranquenho, spoken in Barrancos, is also officially recognised and protected in Portugal since 2021. Minderico, a sociolect of the Portuguese language, is spoken by around 500 people in the town of Minde. According to the EF English Proficiency Index, as of 2025, Portugal has a very high proficiency level in English, having the sixth-highest proficiency score in the world. === Education === The educational system is divided into preschool (for those under age six), basic education (nine years, in three stages, compulsory), secondary education (three years, compulsory since 2010), and higher education (subdivided in university and polytechnic education). Universities are usually organised into faculties. Institutes and schools are also common designations for autonomous subdivisions of Portuguese higher education institutions. Portuguese universities have existed since 1290. The oldest Portuguese university was first established in Lisbon before moving to Coimbra. Historically, within the scope of the Portuguese Empire, the Portuguese founded the oldest engineering school of the Americas (the Real Academia de Artilharia, Fortificação e Desenho of Rio de Janeiro) in 1792, as well as the oldest medical college in Asia (the Escola Médico-Cirúrgica of Goa) in 1842. Presently, the largest university in Portugal is the University of Lisbon. The Bologna process has been adopted by Portuguese universities and poly-technical institutes in 2006. Higher education in state-run educational establishments is provided on a competitive basis, a system of numerus clausus is enforced through a national database on student admissions. However, every higher education institution offers also a number of additional vacant places through other admission processes for sportsmen, mature applicants (over 23 years old), international students, foreign students from the Lusosphere, degree owners from other institutions, students from other institutions (academic transfer), former students (readmission), and course change, which are subject to specific standards and regulations set by each institution or course department. === Health === In 2025, Portugal ranked as 23rd best healthcare system in the world. The health system is characterised by three coexisting systems: the National Health Service (SNS), special social health insurance schemes for certain professions (health subsystems) and voluntary private health insurance. The SNS provides universal coverage. In addition, about 55% of the population is covered by the health subsystems, 43% by private insurance schemes and another 12% by mutual funds. Similarly to other Western European countries, most Portuguese die from noncommunicable diseases. Portugal's infant mortality rate stood at 2,25 deaths per 1,000 live births as of 2024. A Eurostat opinion-poll in 2023 found that 55.4% of adults rated their health as good or very good, the third lowest rate collected in the European Union. The largest university hospital in the country is Hospital de Santa Maria, in Lisbon. Despite its economic development, the average Portuguese, are among the shortest in Europe since around 1890. A driving factor was modest real wage growth, given late industrialisation and economic growth compared to the European core, and delayed human capital formation. == Culture == 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 the European continent. Portugal is well known for its heritage and architecture, sacred sites, summer festivals, poetry, its music namely the fado, and cuisine especially its wine. As of 2026, UNESCO inscribed 17 properties in Portugal on the World Heritage List. There are 13 public holidays in Portugal; 10 June is the national day of Portugal, celebrated as the Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas (Portugal, Camões, and Portuguese Communities Day). === Art and architecture === 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. Over time, foreign and native influences together with developments in manufacturing have led to the creation and later development of a number of crafts that are typical to Portugal the most notable of which being the azulejo, talha dourada, and the Portuguese pavement, which formed the basis of some Portuguese architectural styles such as Pombaline style. Historically, religion, specifically Christianity had an influencial role in Portuguese art as it was a recurrent theme widely employed in many art forms, such as in painting. Throughout its 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 variations in art styles throughout the country, an example of this are the thatch houses of Santana, in Madeira. === Literature === Portuguese literature, one of the earliest Western literatures, developed through text as well as song. Until 1350, the Portuguese-Galician troubadours spread their literary influence to most of the Iberian Peninsula, like King D. Dinis (1261–1325) who became famous for his poetry. Other kings would write and sponsor works of literature across Portuguese history, like D. Fernando (1367–1383) who supported Pêro Menino in writing o Livro da Falcoaria. Luís de Camões wrote Os Lusíadas, an epic poem, with Virgil's Aeneid as his main influence. Modern Portuguese poetry is rooted in neoclassic and contemporary styles, as exemplified by Bocage (1765–1805), Antero de Quental (1842–1891) and Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935). Modern Portuguese literature is represented by authors such as Almeida Garrett, Camilo Castelo Branco, Eça de Queirós, Fernando Pessoa, Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, António Lobo Antunes, Miguel Torga, Agustina Bessa-Luís, and José Saramago who earned the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature. === Music === 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 consisted initially mostly of liturgical music and troubadorism. Over time, new folk traditions together with the influence of foreign cultures and the creation of new instruments, especially guitars led to a diverse variety of regional folk music such as the fado, the Coimbra fado, Desgarrada, and Madeira's folk music. 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. Historically, Portugal has been a country of emmigration 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. === Cuisine === Portuguese cuisine is influenced by both the Mediterranean diet and the Atlantic diet. Seafood, brassicas, potatoes, bread, dairy, and olive oil are traditional staples. Bacalhau has such broad presence in Portugal that is considered a national dish. Traditional Portuguese sweets are known as conventual sweets. Large quantities of sugar and eggs are used. Popular Portuguese beverages include its winery which was introduced in Portugal by the Romans with the most notable examples being the Port wine and Madeira wine. Beer has been breweed in Portugal beginning in Lusitania. Tea is produced in São Miguel Island since the 19th century. === Sport === Football is the most popular sport in Portugal. There are several football competitions ranging from local amateur to world-class professional level. All-time greats Eusébio, Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo are major symbols of Portuguese football history. The Portugal national football team has won one UEFA European Championship title: the UEFA Euro 2016, with a 1–0 victory in the final over France, the tournament hosts. In addition, Portugal finished first in the 2018–19 and 2024–25 UEFA Nations League, second in the Euro 2004, third in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, and fourth in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The country's top-level football league, the Primeira Liga, ranks 6th in the UEFA ranking as of 2026. Road cycling, with Volta a Portugal, is a popular sports event. In motorsport, Portugal is noted for the Rally of Portugal, and the Estoril and Algarve Circuits as well as the revived Porto Street Circuit which held a stage of the WTCC every two years, between 2007 and 2013. In water, Portugal has three major sports: swimming, water polo and surfing. Annually, the country hosts one of the stages of the World Surf League men's and women's Championship Tour, the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal at the Supertubos in Peniche. Northern Portugal has its own original martial art, Jogo do Pau, in which fighters use staffs to confront one or several opponents. == See also == Outline of Portugal == Notes == == References == === Sources === == External links == Geographic data related to Portugal at OpenStreetMap National English language newspaper National Wine Website News about Portugal from the Portuguese American Journal Portugal at UCB Libraries GovPubs Portugal profile from the BBC News "Portugal". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Prestage, Edgar; Jayne, Kingsley Garland (1911). "Portugal" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). p. 134–163. Portuguese Pamphlets Collection from the Rare Book and Special Collections Division at the Library of Congress Wikimedia Atlas of Portugal Government Official Parliament website Official Portuguese Government website (in English and Portuguese) Trade World Bank Summary Trade Statistics Portugal Travel Official Portuguese Government Travel/media website Official Travel and Tourism office website