Portugal
Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.

Location:
Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

Area:
total: 92,391 sq km
land: 91,951 sq km
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
water: 440 sq km

Land boundaries:
total: 1,214 km
border countries: Spain 1,214 km

Climate:
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

Terrain:
mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south

Land use:
arable land: 20.57%
permanent crops: 7.74%
other: 71.69% (1999 est.)

Population:
10,102,022 (July 2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Portuguese (singular and plural)
adjective: Portuguese

Languages:
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)