Portugal was the world’s first maritime power and the birthplace to some of the world’s first explorers. It was at the forefront of European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, Ferdinand Magellan became the first person to circumnavigate the globe. Vasco de Gama discovered the sea route to India, and Bartholomew Diaz was the first to sail around the southern tip of Africa; he called this the Cape of Good Hope. Finally, Álvares Cabral and others discovered new lands, including Brazil, parts of Africa, and the Far East – and claimed them for Portugal.

Portugal’s colonial empire spanned 600 years, the longest-lived of the modern European empires. At its height, Portugal’s empire stretched across what are now 53 different countries. Brazil achieved independence in 1822, while all of Portugal’s African colonies were independent by the end of 1975. Portugal transferred its last colony, Macau, to China in 1999 after 442 years of occupation.