Portugal History

After the abolition of the monarchy in 1910 and the creation of the First Republic, Portugal's rulers set about surpressing all religion in the country and forcibly creating a secular society. A period of restlessness, conflict and political instability ensued.

In 1926, a military coup caused by harsh political and economic conditions, and a disastrous intervention by Portugal's rulers in WW1, was followed by the dictatorship of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar. Dissatisfaction with the Salazar regime and the colonial war in Africa led to a peaceful military coup in 1974 and the end of Portugal's colonial history followed in 1975/76 when all but two of its colonies won independence.

Between 1970 and 1980 there were extreme swings between the political left and right, but the fact that Portugal joined the EU (in 1986) gave the country a certain degree of stability. It was host to the EXPO in 1998 and to the European Football championships in 2004; in 2001, it became European Capital of Culture.
2005 was the year of the worst drought and bushfires in Portugal’s history-devastating the country’s agricultural sector.

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