Portugal is located on the west side of the Iberian Peninsula, along the Atlantic East coast. In its entirety, Portugal occupies an area of about 92 000 km2, including the islands of Madeira and Azores, in the Atlantic. Portugal has a population of about 10 million people. The capital is Lisbon with a population of 1.5 million.
Known for its sunny beaches, Porto wine, or typical Fado music, Portugal is a chosen destination for many holidaymakers, an ideal place for practicing water sports and playing golf, offering modern tourism facilities. A member-country of the European Union since 1986, it currently enjoys a steady economic growth. For centuries Portugal has kept this greatest treasure: a renowned reputation of hospitality that makes the country a haven of congeniality and safety.
The history of this geographical area is rather long, spanning from the Palaeolithic period 7000 BC into the dawn of civilization. At the end of the Neolithic period, starting 1200 BC and for almost 2500 years, the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Visigoths and the Arabs successively invaded and settled in the Iberian Peninsula. The latter remained in control until the 11th century when Ferdinand, ruler of the kingdom of Leon and Castile, conquered much of the territory. An independent kingdom since 1143, Portugal established its continental frontiers in 1297 and is one of the oldest nations in Europe. Portugal became a major player in Europe at the age of the discoveries in the 15th century, when it developed and mastered the nautical science and discovered new lands, setting new trade routes to as far as India and Japan.
The monarchy was overthrown in 1910 by republican forces. A stable democracy started in 1975
