Deus, Pátria e Familia (Portuguese) ("God, Fatherland and Family") | |||||
| Anthem | "Hymno Patriótico" | ||||
| Capital (and largest city) |
Lisbon | ||||
| Other cities | Porto, Braga, Luanda | ||||
| Language official |
Portuguese | ||||
| others | Chinese (in Macau), Tetum (in Timor), Kikongo, Kimbundu and Umbundu (in Angola) | ||||
| Religion main |
Catholicism | ||||
| others | Islam (in Portuguese Guinea), Hinduism (in Portuguese India), Taoism and Confucianism (in Macau) | ||||
| Demonym | Portuguese | ||||
| Government | Unitary Fascist Monarchy | ||||
| King | HMFM Manuel II de Bragança | ||||
| Established | 26 July 1139 | ||||
| Currency | Portuguese real | ||||
Portugal, officially the Kingdom of Portugal (Portuguese: Reino de Portugal), is a sovereign state of the Iberian Peninsula, bordered by Spain to its east and north and by the Atlantic Ocean to its west and south. Metropolitan Portugal also includes two archipelagos in the Atlantic (the Azores and Madeira), while the Portuguese colonial empire is made up of several colonies in Africa and Asia.
Portugal is a fascist monarchy: the current regime, known as the Estado Novo (Portuguese for "New State") was set up in the wake of the Great War, while the country, at first siding with Great Britain, was defeated by Spanish armies which had crossed the border and threatened to occupy all of Portugal. Revanchism, along with newborn nationalist sentiment, brought to the rise of the National Union (Portuguese: União Nacional), a fascist party led by António de Oliveira Salazar, which turned the country into a fascist monarchy similar to those of Italy and neighboring Spain.
Portugal was the first global empire of history: starting from the 15th century, Portugal spearheaded the Age of Discovery, and Portuguese navigators sailed towards destinations yet unknown and created a network of trade outposts and settlements that spanned all the continents of the Earth. Despite the fact that their former colony in South America, Brazil, was lost a long time ago, Portugal still maintains a colonial empire, and is one of the twelve powers of the Concert of Europe. In recent times, its colonies were reorganized and centralized, making their administration more efficient and profitable.
Recent History[]
At the onset of the Great War, Portugal was in a precarious situation: the country's stability was shaky, and its monarchy had just survived a regicide and an attempted republican coup. Its economical situation was also difficult, with bankruptcy becoming ever closer for the third time in the span of a few decades. Tied to the allied powers (especially Great Britain), Portugal kept its neutrality in the first phase of the war, but supported the allied powers in several indirect ways: however, this changed when in neighboring Spain the Falangist Party, with Francisco Franco at its head, took power.
The Spanish government, instigated by its allies (Italy and Germany) issued an ultimatum to Portugal: to remain fully neutral and rescind treaties with Great Britain, or face a declaration of war. While several parties, including the National Union, were in favor of neutrality, the current liberal government feared a British retaliation against its colonies, and refused Spanish demands. Spanish forces invaded Portugal soon afterwards, and the situation precipitated when it became clear that no help would come from France or Britain.
The Portuguese government was dissolved by order of the king, and a provisional government, mostly made up of National Union deputies, was created to drag the country out of the war. Later, António de Oliveira Salazar used popular support, exploiting the wave of nationalism and revanchism that had engulfed the country, to reform Portugal into a fascist state very close to the other fascist states of Europe, with the economy being reformed in a corporativist direction. The colonies were soon integrated more closely to the mainland, and, also thanks to its newfound neutrality, Portugal could prosper while other European nations shelled each other into ruin. Today Portugal is one of the powers of the Concert, and while its colonial empire is relatively small, it is the one that arguably is most well integrated with the motherland.
Government and Politics[]
Constitution and Laws[]
Portugal is a unitary fascist monarchy: the King is the head of state, but has largely ceremonial powers, while executive power lies in the hands of the the prime minister, who is also the head of the National Union, the only legal party. It is one of the most "light-handed" fascist states, without a dogmatic party structure, and with a moderate use of state force. Legislative power is embodied by a monocameral parliament, the National Assembly (Portuguese: Assembleia Nacional), elected every four years; there is also the Corporative Chamber (Portuguese: Câmara Corporativa), a house of corporations which has mostly consultive roles but can also veto some actions taken by the National Assembly and the prime minister.
Metropolitan Portugal is subdivided into several administrative districts (Portuguese: distritos) and two autonomous regions (Portuguese: regiões autónomas), while colonies are called "provinces" (Portuguese: províncias) and administered in a manner similar to mainland districts, with only a small degree of greater autonomy.
Subdivisions[]
Apart from the districts of Continental Portugal, metropolitan Portugal has two autonomous regions:
- Azores
- Madeira
The Portuguese colonial empire, meanwhile, is subdivided into eight provinces:
