Portugal (Portuguese: [putua]), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: Repbl

ica Portuguesa), is a country on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe.

It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, being bordered by the Atlantic
Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east. The PortugalSpai
n border is 1,214km (754mi) long and considered the longest uninterrupted border w
ithin the European Union. The republic also includes the Atlantic archipelagos o
f the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional govern
ments.
The land within the borders of current Portugal has been continuously settled an
d fought over since prehistoric times. The Celts and the Romans were followed by
the Visigothic and the Suebi Germanic peoples, who were themselves later invade
d by the Moors. These Muslim peoples were eventually expelled during the Christi
an Reconquista of the peninsula. By 1139, Portugal had established itself as a k
ingdom independent from Len.[10] In the 15th and 16th centuries, as the result of
pioneering the Age of Discovery, Portugal expanded Western influence and establ
ished the first global empire,[11][12][13] becoming one of the world's major eco
nomic, political and military powers.
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 of
Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822.[14] After the 1910 revolution deposed th
e monarchy, the democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic was establishe
d, later being superseded by the "Estado Novo" right-wing authoritarian regime.
Democracy was restored after the Portuguese Colonial War and the Carnation Revol
ution in 1974. Shortly after, independence was granted to all its colonies, with
the exception of Macau, which was handed over to China in 1999.[15] This marked
the end of the longest-lived European colonial empire, leaving a profound cultu
ral and architectural influence across the globe and a legacy of over 250 millio
n Portuguese speakers today.
Portugal maintains a unitary semi-presidential republican form of government[16]
[17][18][19][20] and is a developed country with an advanced economy, and a high
living standard,[21][22][23] having the 18th highest Social Progress in the wor
ld, putting it ahead of other Western European countries like France, Spain and
Italy.[24] It is a member of numerous international organizations, including the
United Nations, the European Union, the Eurozone, OECD, NATO and the Community
of Portuguese Language Countries. Portugal is also known for having decriminaliz
ed the usage of all common drugs in 2001, the first country in the world to do s
o. However, drugs are still illegal in Portugal.[25]