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Portugal

(Encyclopedia)Portugal pôr´chgl [key], officially Portuguese Republic, republic (2015 est. pop. 10,418,000), 35,553 sq mi (92,082 sq km), SW Europe, on the western side of the Iberian Peninsula and including ...

John VI

(Encyclopedia)John VI, 1769–1826, king of Portugal (1816–26), son of Maria I and Peter III. When his mother became insane, John assumed the reins of government (1792), although he did not formally become regent...

Vieira, Antonio

(Encyclopedia)Vieira, Antonio ntô´nyoo vy´r [key], 1608–97, Portuguese Jesuit orator and missionary. Born in Lisbon, he grew up in Brazil. He was sent by the Jesuits to Portugal to salute the new kin...

Alcobaça

(Encyclopedia)Alcobaça lkoobä´s [key], town (1991 pop. 5,235), Leiria dist., W central Portugal, in Estremadura. The town, a fruit processing and textile center, became a center of the Cistercians in the r...

John III

(Encyclopedia)John III (John the Fortunate), 1502–57, king of Portugal (1521–57), son of Manuel I. His reign saw the Portuguese empire at its apogee. The great Asian possessions were extended by further conques...

Vimeiro

(Encyclopedia)Vimeiro vm´r [key], village, Lisboa dist., W central Portugal, in Estremadura. It was the scene of a battle (1808) of the Peninsular War, in which Wellington defeated Junot, thus ending the fir...

Manuel I

(Encyclopedia)Manuel I, 1469–1521, king of Portugal (1495–1521), successor of John II. Manuel's reign was most notable for the successful continuation of Portugal's overseas enterprises. John had planned the ex...

Aviz

(Encyclopedia)Aviz ävzh´ [key], village, Portalegre dist., central Portugal, in Alto Alentejo. The Castilian order of the Knights of Calatrava assisted in driving the Moors from Portugal and in 1166 settled at ...

Braganza

(Encyclopedia)Braganza brgän´zä [key], royal house that ruled Portugal from 1640 to 1910 and Brazil from 1822 to 1889. It took its name from the castle of Braganza or Bragança. The line was descended from Alf...

Algarve

(Encyclopedia)Algarve lgär´v [key], historic province, 1,958 sq mi (5,070 sq km), extreme S Portugal, coextensive with Faro dist. The capital is Faro, and other important cities are Silves, Portimão, and Lag...