Portugal was first designated as an independent state in 1143, with Prince Afonso being declared King, making it one of the oldest nations in Europe. Its early history was dominated in conflict with the Moors, from whom they took the Algarve in 1249, giving them territory that now pretty much constitutes the modern day border. The following century or so was pretty much spent fighting the Moors, with the odd threat from Castile in Spain
In 1373 King Edward III of England and King Ferdinand of Portugal signed the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty, a treaty of “perpetual friendships, unions and alliances” that to this day remains the oldest treaty in the world.
It was after this time that Portugal experienced its period of discoveries, conquering Ceuta in North Africa in 1415, shortly followed by the discoveries in the Atlantic of Madeira and the Azores. As a seafaring nation and with the help of
Prince Henry the Navigator and Vasco De Gama, there followed a period of great wealth and prosperity for Portugal as their trade routes expanded with the colonization of Brazil and the opening of routes to southern Asia and Africa. This period of growth coincided with the inquisition and resulted in many of the Jewish and Muslim traders fleeing the country, leaving a vacuum of commercial expertise. The decline in prosperity resulted in the Spanish seizing power in 1581 after the death in battle of the heirless King Sebastian.
Although not loosing its formal independence Portugal was ruled by Spain until 1640, when an uprising by disgruntled nobles, backed by John IV, the Duke of Braganza took control (the House of Braganza was to remain in power until 1910).
With the Portuguese Empire already under pressure “The Great Earthquake” of 1755 (thatdestroyed 85% of Lisbon and killed up to 90,000 people), only speeded up what was to be a decline that lasted into the 20th Century.
In 1807 a further crisis hit Portugal when Napoleon invaded and captured Lisbon. This instigated the British intervention under the Duke of Wellington, who restored Portuguese independence, expelling the last French troops in 1812. It did however weaken the Portuguese monarchy, which had been in exile in Brazil, and led to Brazil declaring its independence from Portugal in 1822.
By the start of the 20th Century the Monarchy could no longer hold onto their power and in 1910 a republican coup d’etat deposed King Manuel II and established the first Portuguese Republic, with the writer Teófilo Braga as President. The ensuing chaos and war across Europe led to the 1926 take over of the right wing dictatorship, led by António de Oliveira Salazar, who was to remain in control until 1968. Then in 1974 a bloodless coup, known as the “Carnation Revolution” led to what is now Portugal’s modern Democracy and independence of its last African colonies.