Human beings have lived in Portugal since about 30,000 BC when the world was in the grip of an ice age. The first Portuguese were hunters and fishermen. They also gathered plants for food. T… See more

In the late 17th century gold was discovered in Brazil. In 1730 diamonds were discovered there. Taxes on both helped the Portuguese trea… See more

Many poor Portuguese had high hopes for the revolution but afterward, they saw no improvement in their living standards. Soon many Portuguese be… See more

30,000 BC Stone Age hunters live in Portugal 5,000 BC Farming is introduced to Portugal 2,000 BC Bronze is introduced into Portugal 700 BC Celts enter Portugal bringing iron with them. Me… See more

In 711 Moors from North Africa invaded the Iberian peninsula. They quickly conquered what is now southern Portugal and they ruled it for centuries. Howe… See more

Asia was the source of spices, which were very expensive in Europe. Huge profits could be made by importing spices by sea. At first, the Portuguese dominated the spice trade. In 1510 the Po… See more

Today Portugal is known for olives, wheat, wine, and cork. Tourism is also an important industry in Portugal. Like the rest of Europe Portugal suffered in the recession of 2009. However, Portugal eventually recovered and it… See more