The Portuguese Empire

     Portugal was the Roman Empire province called Lusitania. The population in 1500 was 1 million. In 2010, it was 10.5 million. The country sits on the edge of the North Atlantic wind patterns, which enables the country to easily navigate the oceans. The Portuguese followed the winds to their colonies (to Africa and then Brazil).

    They colonized the world between 1415 and 1542 (in comparison to the British who colonized the U.S. in 1607). They were the first country to create colonies. They created their colony in India in 1498. They ensured that their trade routes were global. Many of Portuguese colonies include Africa, Brazil, India, the Philippines, and China. 
source: Wikipedia
     There are many different kinds of ruins in Portugal: Greek, Roman, and Muslim. The Portuguese constantly built over a previous building. For example, a church over a mosque once the Muslims left. This occurred in 1253 when Portugal secured its borders. Spain did not accomplish this until 1492 (the same year that Columbus said to America). 

     During the 1960s, Portugal was fighting three colonial wars in Africa. These wars went on for over ten years until 1974. The army decided that because there were so many men dying, they must overthrow the dictatorship. The army rode their tanks into Lisbon and stopped the ongoing wars. This is called the Carnation Revolution because it was bloodless. There has not been a dictator since. Women were also given equal rights after 1974..