A Trip Through Portugal's Rich History Quiz

Answer: Iberian

Portugal is located on the western side of the Iberian Peninsula, located in the southwestern part of Europe. Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar, and a small part of France are on this peninsula. Portugal is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Spain. Cabo da Roca, Portugal, is mainland Europe's westernmost point.

Answer: True

True. Portugal is one of the oldest nation-states on the European continent. Portugal became an independent kingdom in 1143 when the Treaty of Zamora was signed. Through this treaty, the Portuguese Country was separated from the Kingdom of León and Castile.

The treaty was signed by D. Afonso Henriques, who became the first king of Portugal, and Alfonso VII of León and Castile, and it was ratified by Pope Alexander III in 1179. The land boundaries of Portugal have remained almost unchanged since the 13th century.

Answer: England

It can be said that the friendship between Portugal and England started in 1147 when English crusaders helped King Afonso I capture Lisbon from the Moors. On June 16, 1373, the "Anglo-Portuguese Treaty" was signed between King Edward III and King Ferdinand and Queen Eleanor of Portugal. On May 19, 1386, the Treaty of Windsor was signed between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Portugal, later the United Kingdom and the Portuguese Republic. The alliance was reinforced several times and recognized at the beginning of the 20th century in the Treaties of Arbitration.

The treaty stated that these countries would never wage war against each other and would provide aid to each other. The alliance has been invoked several times, including during both World Wars. Today the alliance between Portugal and the United Kingdom goes beyond military cooperation. This alliance helped to increase bilateral trade, foreign investment, and tourism. The Treaty of Windsor is still active to this day.

Answer: The "New World" discovered by Christopher Columbus would be divided between the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms

During the 15th century, Portugal and Spain invested heavily in great navigation, always looking for a way to the India by sea. The Portuguese found a new route sailing along the coast of Africa and the Spaniards looked for an alternative route. Thus, on October 12, 1492, and on two subsequent voyages, Christopher Columbus found new lands that he mistakenly believed to be part of Asia. He died in 1506 with this certainty. It was the Italian Amerigo Vespucci who, traveling along this new route in 1499, 1501, and 1503, found that it was a new continent.

At the end of the 15th century, the news of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in new lands caused conflict between Spain and Portugal. To resolve the situation Pope Alexander VI was called. Several meetings were held and finally the "Treaty of Tordesillas" was signed on June 7, 1494. The treaty established a pole-to-pole line located 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde archipelago in Africa. Spain would have possession of any unclaimed territory in the region west of the line and Portugal would keep the territories to the east of the line. The Treaty of Tordesillas explains why Portuguese is spoken in the eastern part of South America and Spanish is spoken in most of the other independent countries in South America. The treaty began to lose strength as other nations became maritime powers as well.

Answer: An earthquake

On November 1st, 1755, Feast of All Saints, at around 9:40 am local time, a gigantic earthquake followed by tsunamis and subsequent fires occurred in Portugal, devastating the city of Lisbon and its surroundings, and impacting the whole country, the Iberian Peninsula, and the north from Africa. It is estimated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 or greater on the moment magnitude scale, with its epicenter in the Atlantic Ocean.

This event was called the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake or the Great Lisbon Earthquake. On this occasion, it is estimated that 30,000 people died and that around 85% of the buildings in Lisbon were destroyed, including palaces, churches, and the new opera house.

A capital reconstruction plan inspired by new concepts was led by the Marquis of Pombal. Some consider that the Portuguese government's reaction to the disaster gave rise to innovations such as the creation of civil defense institutions, etc. Many believe that the Lisbon Earthquake completely changed the way man views the phenomenon of earthquakes, laying down roots for the creation of Seismology.

Answer: True

The beginning of the French Revolution in 1789 and the rise of Napoleon in 1804 created great instability in other European countries where absolute monarchies prevailed. Emperor Napoleon set out to pacify France and expand dominion on the continent. England, which at that time dominated the European economy and had a strong navy, became Napoleon's main opponent. Aware that he would not beat England in a confrontation, Napoleon signed an act called the Continental Blockade in 1806. By this act, European countries under France's domain could not maintain commercial relations with England and receive English ships in their ports. Non-adherence to the pact would result in the invasion of the dissident country by French troops. Three countries did not join the blockade: Portugal, Austria, and Russia.

As Portugal did not give in to orders, France decided to invade Portugal. Supported by England and to ensure Portuguese sovereignty, Prince João and the Portuguese royal family, at the end of November 1807, embarked to Brazil, transferring their court to South America. They arrived in Brazil in March 1808 and only in 1821 did (by then, King) Dom João VI and most of his court return to Portugal. The rule of Brazil was in charge of Prince Regent Pedro.

Answer: 20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Kingdom of Portugal was in great crisis due to several factors. The high expenses of the royal family, the national discontentment provoked by the prompt acceptance of the 1890 "British Ultimatum", the assassination of the king and his heir in 1908, the inexperience of the new King Manuel II, and the regime's inability to adapt to modern times made the situation untenable.

On October 5, 1910, a coup d'état organized by members of the Portuguese Republican Party (PRP), a group that gained expression during the 19th century, resulted in the overthrow of the Portuguese monarchy and its replacement by the Republic. The new republican government was immediately recognized by some countries and others waited until the approval of the 1911 Constitution and the subsequent election of the first president who took over the government in August 1911.

Answer: Carnation Revolution

Portugal became a republic in 1910, after the deposition of King Manuel II. However, in 1926, a military coup overthrew the republic and the country began to have an authoritarian government, a dictatorship that lasted until 1974.

The "Revolução do Cravos" (Carnation Revolution) was a military coup on April 25, 1974, organized by the Armed Forces Movement, composed of military personnel who opposed the existing dictatorial regime in the country. The movement was embraced by the civilian population and ended the long dictatorship. There was great dissatisfaction in Portugal due to the serious economic crisis, and the struggles for the independence of the Portuguese colonies in Africa. With the revolution, a period of 40 years of authoritarian rule ended, and individual freedoms and a democratic republic were re-established. A new constitution was approved and a semi-presidential system in which executive power was balanced between a president and a prime minister.

The revolution got its name because the red carnation was the symbol of struggle. The civilian population upon learning that the military was fighting to restore democracy and put an end to colonial wars, began to give red carnations to soldiers, which were carried along with their weapons. It was a peaceful revolution.

Answer: Brazil

The Overseas War was the name given to the pro-independence conflict between Portugal and the Portuguese colonies of Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique. This movement began in the 1960s and culminated with the independence of the three countries in 1974 and 1975.

Brazil's independence occurred in 1822 through a different process. The arrival of the Portuguese royal family to Brazil in 1808 brought about a series of changes that contributed to the commercial, economic, and cultural development of the then-Portuguese colony. Brazil ceased to be a colony and became part of the so-called United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. However, in Portugal, the movement for the king to return to Portugal grew.

The king finally appointed his son Dom Pedro as regent and two days later, on April 24, 1821, sailed for Lisbon. The regent Dom Pedro faced a difficult political situation: the growing antagonism between the Portuguese and Brazilians, the republican propaganda, and the pressure from the Portuguese Court for the prince regent to return to Portugal immediately. The Portuguese wanted Brazil to revert to colony status.

Faced with a summons to return, Dom Pedro on January 9, 1822, challenged the court with the famous speech known as the "Fico" (I Am Staying). After that Dom Pedro formed a ministry, and convened a legislative and constituent assembly, on September 7, 1822, he proclaimed the independence of Brazil and on December 1, he was crowned emperor. The new government faced some regional resistance but all regions integrated the new country. In August 1825, Portugal signed the recognition agreement, with an indemnity of 2 million pounds.

Answer: Nine

Portugal and eight of Portugal's former colonies, today independent countries, have Portuguese as their official language. In 1996, the "Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries" (CPLP) was created with the objective to "deepen mutual friendship and cooperation among its members. The founding members are Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, and Sao Tome and Principe.

In 2002, after the end of the Indonesian occupation, Timor-Leste joined the group and adopted as official language Portuguese and Tetum. In 2014, Equatorial Guinea, which has Portuguese, Spanish, and French as its official languages, became the ninth member of the CPLP. Altogether there are about 290 million people inhabiting countries that make up the CPLP. Other countries are in the condition of associated observers, as they have significant communities of Portuguese speakers. At this time Portuguese is the fourth language most common language spoken in the world, after Mandarin, English, and Spanish.