Short History of Portugal 

During the early first millennium BC, various waves of Celts from central Europe occupied Portugal and got married with the local inhabitants. Consequently, various ethnic groups were formed such as the Calaicians or Gallaeci of northern Portugal, Cynetes or COnii of the Algarve, the Celtici of Alentejo, and the Lusitanians of central Portugal. In 219 BC, the Roman attacked the Iberian Peninsula. For almost 200 years, the peninsula was nearly annexed to the Roman Empire. By the start of the 5th century, Germanic tribes occupied the peninsula with the Visigoths as successful conquerors. In 711, the Islamic Moors of North Africa attacked Iberian Peninsula and demolished the remains of the Visigoth kingdom.

Established as a kingdom by Alphonso I in 1139, and recognised by the Pope in 1179, Portugal remained independent until 1580, when an invasion by Phillip II of Spain brought sixty years of foreign domination. The Spanish were overthrown by a revolution in 1640, and Portugal continued as a kingdom until 1910, when the monarchy was expelled, and the First Republic established. Short lived, and often violent, governments ensued, before a military coup in 1926. Portugal is now a democratic republic in the EU

1986 Portugal joined the EEC (forerunner of the EU). As a result of EU membership Portugal received large sums of money, which did much to reduce poverty. In 1999 Portugal adopted the Euro.

Today Portugal is known for olives, wheat, wine and cork. Tourism is also an important industry.

Today the population of Portugal is 10.5 million.