Portugal colonized which countries

With the financial aid of Prince Henry the Navigator, famous explorers such as Vasco de Gama and Bartolomeu Dias led the exploration of these territories. These colonies, as was the case with other colonial powers, were established in order to source for resources such as gold and agricultural goods as well as spread Christianity. The gradual decline of the Portuguese empire was brought about by their small population, which led to a shortage of workers to look after the colonies as they kept on expanding into new territories.

The Portuguese occupied Angola in the s with Soyo and Luanda being the first settlements. Other settlements and forts were established later with their main trade being slaves who were sent to the New World in exchange for products from Europe.

In addition to human slaves, diamonds and gold were also traded. The pressure for Portugal to let go of its colonies began in the 20th century. The eventual release of these three nations from the clutches of the Portuguese did not happen until after the dictator, Antonio Salazar, was forcefully removed from power in After independence, there was a massive migration of people from these three nations to Portugal.

The former Portuguese colony of the Republic of Cape Verde is an island country kilometers off the West African coast. In when the Portuguese first landed in the Cape Verde islands, they described them as being uninhabited. The official language is Portuguese and the country now supports a population of about , Since , it has been classified as a developing nation. There are various traditions and festivals, among the most common being Christmas, Saint John and the carnival.

The Republic Equatorial Guinea occupies an area of 28, square kilometers in mid-Africa. Becoming a Portuguese colony in , Equatorial Guinea was ceded by treaty to Spain in in exchange for the South American territory of Sacramento. Most Portuguese culture and customs have been neglected with Equatorial Guinea consistently having one of the worst records of human rights. Some ancient customs, such as the rituals of the Abira remain. Situated in southeast Africa, the Republic of Mozambique had nearly five hundred years as a Portuguese colony, and gained independence in After a long civil war, a peace agreement was negotiated in The country has an area of , square kilometers, shares borders with seven countries including South Africa and a population of about Mozambique is one of the major Lusophone countries countries where Portuguese language is spoken.

A census conducted in revealed that The influences of Portuguese culture are evident in the music and dancing of Mozambique and are mainly related to religious and social practices. They were uninhabited before the Portuguese arrived and were used in the slave trade.

They both achieved independence from Portugal in In the s, the Portuguese colonized the western Indian region of Goa. Goa, located on the Arabian Sea, was an important port in spice-rich India. In , India annexed Goa from the Portuguese and it became an Indian state.

Goa has many Catholic adherents in primarily Hindu India. The Portuguese also colonized the eastern half of the island of Timor in the 16th century. In , East Timor declared independence from Portugal, but the island was invaded and annexed by Indonesia. East Timor became independent in Macau served as an important Southeast Asian trading port. The Portuguese empire ended when Portugal handed over control of Macau to China in Portuguese, a Romance language, is spoken by million people, with between million and million native speakers.

It is the sixth most spoken language in the world. It is also spoken in Macau and Goa. Brazil, with more than million people July estimate , is the most populated Portuguese-speaking country in the world. Portuguese is also spoken in the Azores Islands and the Madeira Islands, two archipelagos that still belong to Portugal. The Portuguese excelled in exploration and trade for centuries. The country's former colonies, spread across continents, have varying areas, populations, geographies, histories, and cultures.

The Portuguese tremendously affected their colonies politically, economically, and socially. The empire has been criticized for being exploitative, neglectful, and racist. Some colonies still suffer from high poverty and instability, but their valuable natural resources, combined with current diplomatic relations with and assistance from Portugal, may improve the living conditions of these numerous countries.

The Portuguese language will always be an important connector of these countries and a reminder of how vast and significant the Portuguese empire once was. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance.