Portugal
Capital: Lisbon · Southern Europe
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country in Southwestern Europe.
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Santa Marta Lighthouse , Cascais, Portugal. The lighthouse, which is 20 metres (66 ft) tall, is situated on the estuary of the River Tagus , providing a light for the…
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Granite boulder formations near the Monsanto Castle at sunrise, Aldeia de Monsanto, Portugal
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Did you know?
The western Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited since prehistory, with the earliest signs of settlement dating to between 5500 BC and 5300 BC. Muslims had occupied the Iberian Peninsula since 711. As a result of the Reconquista against them, Portugal was established as a county of the Kingdom of León in 868 and formally as a kingdom in 1179. During the Age of Discovery, the kingdom made several advancements in nautical science and maritime exploration to discover new territories and sea routes, which led to the establishment of the Portuguese Empire.
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People in historical nun dresses take part in a historical reenactment at the nuns' choir in the Arouca Monastery in Arouca, Portugal. The reenactment portrays monastic…
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Faro Old Town
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Etymology
The word Portugal derives from Latin Portus Cale, a Roman name meaning 'port of Cale', itself the origin of the name of the Portuguese city of Porto, while Cale was a town on the Douro. There is no consensus on the etymology of Cale. It could derive from the pre-Indo-European word Kala, meaning 'shelter' or 'refuge', passed into the Celtic language in the form Cale, with the meaning of 'land' or 'mountain'. The ethnonym Calaico/a then came from the Gallaeci, Celtic peoples of northwestern Iberia, and came to mean 'one of the land' or 'one of the place.
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Anta de Pendilhe . Pendilhe, Vila Nova de Paiva, Viseu, Portugal.
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A fight between two Garranos
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TAP's Airbus A319
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History
The region has been inhabited by humans since approximately 400,000 years ago. Neanderthals roamed the southwestern Iberian Peninsula until 37,000 years ago, and anatomically modern humans arrived in what is now Portugal around 40,000 years ago. The onset of the Neolithic in the area dates to between 5500 BC and 5300 BC. In southern Portugal, Iron Age inscribed stele have been found, representing early evidence of writing in the Iberian Peninsula.
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Batalha, Portugal: Mosteiro da Batalha with Monumento a D. Nuno Álvares Pereira
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Beach of Costa da Caparica (Portugal) in a winter day
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Cape Espichel, Portugal
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Geography
Portugal's territory comprises mainland Portugal and the Azores and Madeira archipelagos. The mainland, commonly referred to as Continental Portugal, is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe, while Madeira and the Azores lie in the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal's land area is 92,225 km2 (35,608 sq mi), although Portuguese law defines the country's size as 156,597 km2 (60,462 sq mi) which includes about 64,000 km2 (24,711 sq mi) of ocean waters.
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The Caretos de Lazarim are a carnival tradition from Portugal, specifically from the parish of Lazarim , in the municipality of Lamego , in the north of the country.…
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Sunset at Costa da Caparica, Portugal
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Casa dos Cirios, Cape Espichel, Portugal
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Government and politics
Portugal has been a semi-presidential representative democratic republic since the ratification of the Constitution of 1976. The Constitution divides the core structures of the Portuguese political system among four sovereignty organs: the president, the government, the Assembly of the Republic, and the courts. There is universal suffrage for adults over 18 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elected offices. Portugal operates a competitive multi-party system at the national, regional, and local levels. There have been trends towards autocratisation.
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Economy
Portugal is a high-income country with an advanced economy that follows the Mediterranean model. The country's economic policy is framed by strategic guidelines called Major Options, which are subsequently implemented through the State Budget. Portugal has the EU's 14th-largest economy by nominal GDP and the 12th-largest economy by PPP-adjusted GDP. Its PPP-adjusted GDP per capita stood at to 81% of the EU average in 2025. As of 2024, Portugal's service sector contributed the most for its economic output followed the industrial sector and its primary sector.
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Demographics
In 2025, Portugal had a population of 11,424,031, of whom 9,826,492 were Portuguese nationals. The remainder were foreign residents at 1,597,539. Portugal is steadily ageing and has one of the world's highest proportion of elderly citizens, comprising nearly one-fourth of its entire population, together with a female share of the population at 51.1%.
In 2025, Portugal had a fertility rate of 1.4, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1 and is one of the world's lowest.
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Culture
Portugal's culture has developed due to the influence from various civilisations that have crossed Europe, especially the Mediterranean. Later, during the period of Portugal's engagement in the Age of Discovery, cultural elements from outside of Europe were introduced and became a central element of Portuguese national identity.
Portugal is known for its heritage and architecture, sacred sites, festivities, poetry, its music (especially the fado), and cuisine (including its wine). As of 2026, UNESCO inscribed 17 properties in Portugal on the World Heritage List.
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