Following its heyday as a global
maritime 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 of its wealthiest
colony of Brazil in 1822. 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 is a
founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
(Source: The World Factbook 2009.
Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009)
For more information about Portugal:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
