The Portuguese Empire: Map & History
The pioneer of the European Age of Discovery, establishing a 5.5M-km² maritime chain of fortresses and trading posts from Brazil to Africa, India, Malacca, and Macau.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Portuguese Empire was the first and longest lasting of the European colonial empires. Initiated during the Age of Discovery, at one point territories included parts of the Americas and Africa, along with ports and trading posts throughout Asia and Oceania.
Modern Countries Once Part of The Portuguese Empire
At its mapped extent, The Portuguese Empire covered territory in 30 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- French Guiana1805–1814 CE · nearly all
- Kuwait1521–1581 CE · nearly all
- Cape Verde1463–1910 CE · nearly all
- Guadeloupe1805–1810 CE · nearly all
- Bahrain1521–1581 CE · nearly all
- Macau S.A.R1564–1910 CE · nearly all
- Martinique1805–1808 CE · nearly all
- Qatar1521–1581 CE · nearly all
- Timor-Leste1526–1910 CE · nearly all
- Portugal1415–1910 CE · nearly all
- Uruguay1820–1823 CE · most
- Brazil1502–1823 CE · most
- Sri Lanka1507–1686 CE · most
- Guinea Bissau1885–1910 CE · most
- Angola1579–1910 CE · most
- Dominican Republic1805–1808 CE · most
- Mozambique1534–1910 CE · most
- United Arab Emirates1521–1581 CE · a large part
- Equatorial Guinea1497–1777 CE · a large part
- Guyana1619–1628 CE · a small part
- Malaysia1512–1644 CE · a small part
- Saudi Arabia1521–1581 CE · a small part
- Morocco1492–1546 CE · a small part
- Malawi1895–1910 CE · a small part
- Yemen1516–1555 CE · a small part
- Oman1507–1705 CE · a small part
- Paraguay1752–1823 CE · a small part
- Tanzania1507–1699 CE · a small part
- India1507–1708 CE · a small part
- Argentina1820–1823 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Bahia, Brazil
- Pará, Brazil
- Paraná, Brazil
- Ceará, Brazil
- Goiás, Brazil
- Maranhão, Brazil
- Amazonas, Brazil
- Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Mato Grosso, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Pernambuco, Brazil
- Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Piauí, Brazil
- Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
- Guinaa, French Guiana
- Tocantins, Brazil
- Alagoas, Brazil
- Rondônia, Brazil
- Ash Sharqiyah, Saudi Arabia
- Cuanza Sul, Angola
- Espírito Santo, Brazil
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside The Portuguese Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
The Portuguese Empire in Depth
Origins (1139–1415)
The origin of the Kingdom of Portugal lay in the Reconquista, the gradual reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. After establishing itself as a separate kingdom in 1139, Portugal completed its reconquest of Moorish territory by reaching Algarve in 1249, but its independence continued to be threatened by neighboring Castile until the signing of the Treaty of Ayllón in 1411.
Free from threats to its existence and unchallenged by the wars fought by other European states, Portuguese attention turned overseas and towards a military expedition to the Muslim lands of North Africa. There were several probable motives for their first attack, on the Marinid Sultanate (in what would become Morocco).
Legacy
Presently, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) serves as the cultural and intergovernmental successor of the Empire.
Macau was returned to China on 20 December 1999, under the terms of an agreement negotiated between People's Republic of China and Portugal twelve years earlier. Nevertheless, the Portuguese language remains co-official with Cantonese Chinese in Macau.
The Azores and Madeira (the latter administering the uninhabited Savage Islands) are the only overseas territories that remain politically linked to Portugal. Although Portugal began the process of decolonising East Timor in 1975, during 1999–2002 was sometimes considered Portugal's last remaining colony, as the Indonesian invasion of East Timor was not justified by Portugal.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Portuguese Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
The Portuguese Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Rio de Janeiro |
|---|---|
| Official language | Portuguese |
| Religion | Catholicism |
| Form of government | monarchy, republic |
| Currency | escudo |
| Founded | 21 August 1415 |
| Dissolved | 20 December 1999 |
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q200464 (CC0).
Portuguese Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which The Portuguese Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
Sparked by Prince Henry the Navigator’s exploratory expeditions along the African coast and Vasco da Gama’s 1498 arrival in Calicut, India, Portugal forged history’s first global oceanic trade empire (Estado da Índia). Operating via fortified coastal feitorias (fortress-factories) and naval armadas under Afonso de Albuquerque, Portugal monopolized the Indian Ocean spice trade, colonized Brazil, and established centuries-long enclaves in Goa, Malacca, and Macau.
Portuguese Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Portuguese forces cross to North Africa, beginning overseas expansion.
First European fleet navigates around Africa to dock in Calicut.
Fleet bound for India veers west across the Atlantic and claims Brazil.
Afonso de Albuquerque secures the maritime chokepoint of Southeast Asian spices.
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓Discovery of the Cape route to India, revolutionizing global trade geography
- ✓The Portuguese language flourishing across Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, and global enclaves
- ✓Pioneering caravel and nau shipbuilding, nautical astrolabes, and cartographic innovations
- ✓Historic UNESCO architecture in Goa (Old Goa churches), Macau, and Salvador da Bahia
Portuguese Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Portuguese Empire exist?
The Portuguese Empire is dated to 1415 CE – 1999 CE (Peak: 1815 CE), in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
What was the capital of the Portuguese Empire?
The capital of the Portuguese Empire was Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro (1808–1821).
How large was the Portuguese Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1815 the Portuguese Empire covered about 5,500,000 km².
How did the map of the Portuguese Empire change over time?
The Portuguese Empire appears on 5 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1600 CE to 1900 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Geographic Lifelines
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad