POPULATION 10,084,245
ROMAN CATHOLIC 89 percent
PROTESTANT 4 percent
OTHER CHRISTIAN 3 percent
OTHER 1 percent
NONE 3 percent

Country Overview

Introduction

The Portuguese Republic, located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the south and west and by Spain on the north and east. The archipelagos of the Azores and of Madeira, in the Atlantic, are part of Portugal. The capital and largest city is Lisbon.

Portugal shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain, and the early histories of the countries were parallel. The Romans conquered the peninsula in 202 B.C.E., and Christianity was introduced in the first century C.E. Roman control collapsed during the early fifth century when the Visigoths, Germanic invaders from central and northern Europe, overran the area. In 711 armies of Muslims (Moors) from North Africa conquered most of the peninsula. Portugal established its independence during the Reconquista (Reconquest), as Christian armies...