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June 24

June 24

June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining.

Events

- 972 - Battle of Cedynia, near Cedynia. Polish forces have had their first documented victory.
- 1128 - Battle of São Mamede, near Guimarães. Portuguese forces led by Alfonso I defeat his mother D.Teresa and D.Fernão Peres de Trava. After this battle, the future king calls himself "Prince of Portugal", the first step towards "official independence" in 1143.
- 1314 - End of the Battle of Bannockburn. Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce defeat Edward II of England. Scotland regains its independence.
- 1374 - A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aix-la-Chapelle, Prussia, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.
- 1441 - Eton College founded.
- 1497 - John Cabot lands on North America in Newfoundland; first European discovery of the region since the Vikings.
- Cornish traitors Michael An Gof and Thomas Flamank executed at Tyburn, London
- 1509 - Henry VIII crowned King of England.
- 1534 - Jacques Cartier makes the European discovery of Prince Edward Island.
- 1535 - The Anabaptist state of Münster is conquered and disbanded.
- 1597 - The first Dutch voyage to the East Indies reaches Bantam (on Java).
- 1662 - Dutch attempt but fail to capture Macau.
- 1664 - The colony of New Jersey is founded.
- 1692 - Kingston, Jamaica founded.
- 1793 - First republican constitution in France adopted.
- 1812 - Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's invasion of Russia begins.
- 1813 - Battle of Beaver Dams : A British, and Indian joint force defeat the U.S Army.
- 1821 - Battle of Carabobo : Venezuela gains total independence from Spain.
- 1859 - Battle of Solferino: (Battle of the Three Sovereigns). Sardinia and France defeat Austria in Solferino, northern Italy.
- 1861 - Tennessee becomes the 11th and last state to secede from the US.
- 1880 - First performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français.
- 1894 - The IOC decides to hold the Olympic Games every four years.
- 1901 - First exhibition of Pablo Picasso's work opens.
- 1902 - King Edward VII of the United Kingdom develops appendicitis, delaying his coronation.
- 1910 - Japan invades Korea.
- 1913 - Greece and Serbia annul their alliance with Bulgaria.
- Joseph Cook becomes the 6th Prime Minister of Australia.
- 1916 - Mary Pickford becomes first film star to get million dollar contract.
- 1918 - First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto.
- The giant cannon Big Bertha begins bombardments on Paris
- 1932 - A military coup ends the absolute power of the king of Siam (Thailand).
- 1940 - France and Italy sign an armistice.
- 1941 - Government of briefly independent Lithuania conducts its first meeting under prime minister Juozas Ambrazevičius
- 1945 - The U.S.S.R. capture the Free Republic of Schwarzenberg.
- 1946 - Georges Bidault becomes Prime Minister of France
- 1947 - First known sighting of UFOs: Kenneth Arnold, flying over Washington, notices nine luminous disks in the form of saucers.
- 1948 - Start of the Berlin Blockade. The Soviet Union makes overland travel between the West with West Berlin impossible.
- 1957 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
- 1963 - Zanzibar is granted internal self-government by the UK.
- 1974 - The UPC label is used for the first time to ring up purchases at a supermarket.
- 1975 - An Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 crashes at John F. Kennedy Airport, New York. 113 people die.
- 1981 - For what would be the world's longest single-span suspension bridge for 17 years, the Humber Bridge, connecting Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, opens.
- 1983 - Sally Ride, first female American astronaut, returns to earth.
- Yasir Arafat banned from Damascus.
- 1993 - Yale computer science professor Dr. David Gelernter loses the sight in one eye, the hearing in one ear, and part of his right hand after receiving a mailbomb from the Unabomber.
- 1995 - The New Jersey Devils sweep the Detroit Red Wings in four games in the 1995 NHL Stanley Cup finals.
- In the final of the Rugby Union World Cup held at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, a drop goal in extra time by Joel Stransky lifts South Africa to a 15-12 win over New Zealand.
- 1996 - Michael Johnson breaks the world record in the 200 metres with a time of 19.66 seconds
- 1999 - The guitar with which Eric Clapton recorded Layla is sold at auction for $497,500.
- 2004 - Habib Dodo, the general secretary of the Communist Youth of Côte d'Ivoire is assassinated by pro-government forces.

Births

1244 to 1899

- 1244 - Henry I of Hesse (d. 1308)
- 1340 - John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (d. 1399)
- 1386 - Giovanni da Capistrano, Italian saint (d. 1456)
- 1485 - Johannes Bugenhagen, German reformer (d. 1558)
- 1519 - Theodore Beza, French theologian (d. 1605)
- 1532 - Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, English politician (d. 1588)
- 1542 - St. John of the Cross, Spanish Carmelite friar and poet (d. 1591)
- 1546 - Robert Parsons, English Jesuit priest (d. 1610)
- 1663 - Jean Baptiste Massillon, French churchman (d. 1742)
- 1687 - Johann Albrecht Bengel, German scholar (d. 1757)
- 1694 - Jean-Jacques Burlamaqui, Swiss publicist (d. 1748)
- 1704 - Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens, French writer (d. 1771)
- 1777 - John Ross, British naval officer and explorer (d. 1856)
- 1795 - Ernst Heinrich Weber, German anatomist and physiologist (d. 1878)
- 1803 - George James Webb, English-born composer (d. 1887)
- 1804 - Willard Richards, American religious leader (d. 1854)
- 1813 - Henry Ward Beecher, American clergyman and reformer (d. 1887)
- 1826 - George Goyder, surveyor-general of South Australia (d. 1898)
- 1842 - Ambrose Bierce, American author
- 1850 - Horatio Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, British field marshal (d. 1916)
- 1882 - Carl Diem, German Olympic official (d. 1962)
- 1883 - Victor Franz Hess, Austrian-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1964)
- 1888 - Gerrit Rietveld, Dutch architect (d. 1964)
- 1895 - Jack Dempsey, American boxer (d. 1983)

1900 to 1999

- 1901 - Harry Partch, American composer (d. 1974)
- 1906 - Pierre Fournier, French cellist (d. 1986)
- 1907 - Arseny Tarkovsky, Russian poet (d. 1989)
- 1908 - Hugo Distler, German composer (d. 1942)
- Guru Gopinath, Indian classical dancer (d 1987)
- Alfons Rebane, Estonian military officer (d. 1976)
- 1909 - David Rose, English composer and musician (d. 1990)
- 1911 - Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentine race car driver (d. 1995)
- 1914 - Robert Aickman, English author (d. 1981)
- 1915 - Fred Hoyle, British astronomer and science fiction author (d. 2001)
- 1922 - Tata Giacobetti, Italian singer and lyricist (Quartetto Cetra)
- 1927 - Martin Lewis Perl, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1930 - Claude Chabrol, French film director
- 1931 - Billy Casper, American golfer
- 1942 - Mick Fleetwood, musician (Fleetwood Mac)
- Michele Lee, American actress
- 1944 - Jeff Beck, English guitarist (Yardbirds)
- Chris Wood, British musician (d. 1983)
- 1945 - Colin Blunstone, British musician (The Zombies)
- George Pataki, Governor of New York
- 1946 - Ellison Onizuka, astronaut (d. 1986)
- 1950 - Mercedes Lackey, American author
- 1953 - Garry Shider, American musician (P Funk)
- 1955 - Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Guru of Siddha Yoga
- 1956 - Joe Penny, English actor
- 1958 - Jean Charest, Premier of Québec
- 1963 - Anatoly Borisovich Jurkin, Russian writer
- 1967 - Richard Kruspe-Bernstein, German guitarist (Rammstein)
- 1969 - Sissel Kyrkjebø, Norwegian singer
- 1970 - Glenn Medeiros, American singer and songwriter
- 1978 - Erno "Emppu" Vuorinen, Finnish guitarist (Nightwish)
- 1978 - Luis Garcia, Spanish footballer
- 1979 - Craig Shergold, Internet folklore subject
- 1982 - Kevin Nolan, English footballer
- 1986 - Solange Knowles, American actress and singer

Deaths

803 to 1899

- 803 - Higbald of Lindisfarne
- 1398 - Hongwu Emperor of China (b. 1328)
- 1439 - Duke Frederick IV of Austria (b. 1382)
- 1519 - Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara (b. 1480)
- 1520 - Hosokawa Sumimoto, Japanese samurai commander (b. 1489)
- 1604 - Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, Lord Great Chamberlain of England (b. 1550)
- 1637 - Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, French astronomer (b. 1580)
- 1766 - Adrien-Maurice, 3rd duc de Noailles, French soldier (b. 1678)
- 1778 - Pieter Burmann the Younger, Dutch philologist (b. 1714)
- 1803 - Matthew Thornton, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1714)
- 1817 - Thomas McKean, American lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1734)
- 1894 - Marie François Sadi Carnot, French statesman (b. 1837)

1900 to 1999

- 1908 - Grover Cleveland, President of the United States (heart failure) (b. 1837)
- 1909 - Sarah Orne Jewett, American writer (b. 1849)
- 1922 - Walther Rathenau, German Minister of Foreign Affairs (assassinated) (b. 1867)
- 1935 - Carlos Gardel, Argentine singer (airplane crash) (b. 1890)
- 1947 - Emil Seidel, Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (b. 1864)
- 1981 - Terry Fox, Canadian runner (b. 1958)
- 1987 - Jackie Gleason, American actor and musician (b. 1916)
- 1993 - Archie Williams, American athlete (b. 1915)

2000 onwards

- 2000 - Vera Atkins, Romanian-born intelligence officer (b. 1908)
- 2002 - Pierre Werner, Prime Minister of Luxembourg (b. 1913)
- 2003 - Maynard Jackson, Mayor of Atlanta (b. 1938)
- Leon Uris, American author (b. 1924)
- 2004 - Ifigeneia Giannopoulou, Greek songwriter (b. 1957)
- 2005 - Paul Winchell, American voice actor and ventriloquist (b. 1922)

Holidays and observances

- Roman Catholic Church - Feast of Saint John the Baptist, patron of farriers
- Original Midsummer's Eve in Finland and Sweden, although the official holiday is now moved to the nearest Friday
- One of the four Irish Quarter days in the Irish Calendar.
- Discovery Day in Newfoundland and Labrador (celebrating the 1497 discovery by John Cabot)
- Fête nationale du Québec, also called St-Jean-Baptiste Day
- Day of Indian in Peru
- Battle of Carabobo Day in Venezuela (1821)
- Bannockburn Day in Scotland (see 1314 above)
- Bahá'í Faith - Feast of Rahmat (Mercy) - First day of the sixth month of the Bahá'í Calendar
- Quarter days in England
- Skt. Hans Day in Denmark
- St. John's Day in Estonia and Sao Joao in Porto

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/24 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.britannica.com/eb/dailycontent?month=6&day=24 Encyclopædia Britannica: This Day in History] ---- June 23 - June 25 - May 24 - July 24 -- listing of all days ko:6월 24일 ms:24 Jun ja:6月24日 simple:June 24 th:24 มิถุนายน

June 24

June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining.

Events

Births

1244 to 1899

1900 to 1999

Deaths

803 to 1899

1900 to 1999

2000 onwards

Holidays and observances

External links

Battle of Cedynia

Introduction

The Battle of Cedynia happened on 24 June 972 during the rule of first christian ruler of Poland - the Duke Mieszko I. There was a war raging over the western border of the young country. Mieszko I wanted to capture easily defended and economically important end of river Oder River. It started a conflict between Murgrave Hodon who was the ruler of neighbouring marchy of Lusatia (sometimes said to be Brandenburg). Murgrave wanted to extend his territory and gathered his forces. He received support from another man, Count Sigfried and decided to attack. He was sure of victory and his raid was a private conflict which was against the agreements made by the German emperor. However, the battle was won by Poland.

The Forces

The numbers are unknown, but the military abilities and the rank of opponents indicate that they couldn't have had more than 4 000 man on each side. Maybe even less. It is known, however, that the German forces consisted of heavy cavalry while Polish consisted of cavalry and infantry.

The Battlefield

The Polish duke wanted to avoid a long campaign on his territory and stop the enemy on the borders. The fight was on one of passes through Oder River. The place was picked carefully. The only way was next to a high hill grown with trees and most of area was pretty swamplike. Also there was a town of Cedynia a bit deeper.

The Battle

When the Germans were going through the river, Mieszko I led an attack on them. Then he posed a retreat and the Germans chased him. However then, his brother Czcibor attacked from the forest. The Germans were flanked and fell back to the swampy terrain. There, unable to defend, they were slaughtered.

Aftermath

Not many Germans have escaped, however Sigfried and Hodon did. Eventually the son of Mieszko I of Poland was taken by the German emperor, Otto I. Otto II wanted to have a revenge in 979, but was also defeated.

Sources

Based upon "Słynne bitwy w historii Polski" (Famous battles in Polish history) by Rafał Korbal. Information about this battle is found in the Gall Anonim Chronicle and the Thietmar Chronicle. In the city there is a monument erected after World War II. Category:972 Cedynia 972 Cedynia 972

Polish

Polish may relate to:
- the country of Poland
- the Polish language, a West Slavic language spoken mainly in and around Poland
- the Polish people ;Polishing
- Polishing
- Nail polish, substances used to decorate finger nails
- Shoe polish, the substances involved in or the act of polishing shoes

1128

Events

- Pope Honorius II recognizes and confirms the Order of the Knights Templar.
- King Afonso I of Portugal, then Count of Portugal defeats his mother, Teresa of Leon, in battle and gains control of the county.
- Geoffrey of Anjou marries Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England.
- Holyrood Abbey founded in Edinburgh by David I, King of Scotland.

Births

- Absalon, Danish archbishop and statesman
- Alain de Lille, French theologian and poet (approximate date; died 1202)
- William of Tyre, Archbishop of Tyre and historian of the Crusades (approximate date; died 1186)

Deaths

- July 28 - William Clito, Count of Flanders (born 1102)
- Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham Category:1128 ko:1128년

Portugal

The Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; pron. IPA /) is located on the west and southwest parts of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, and is the westernmost country in continental Europe. Portugal is bordered by Spain to the north and east and by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. In addition, Portugal includes two archipelagos in the Atlantic, Azores (Açores) and Madeira Islands. Portugal has witnessed a constant flow of different civilizations during the past 3100 years. Iberian, Tartessian, Celtic, Phoenician and Carthaginian, Greek, Roman, Germanic (Suevi and Visigoth) and Moorish cultures have all made an imprint on the country. The naming of Portugal itself reveals most of the country's early history, stemming from the Roman name Portus Cale, a possibly mixed Greek and Latin name meaning "Beautiful Port", or even mixed Celtic and Latin or mixed Phoenician and Latin. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was a major economic, political, and cultural power, its empire streching from Brazil to the Indies.

History

Lusitania

Main articles: Pre-Roman and Roman Lusitania In the early first millennium BC, several waves of Celts invaded Portugal from Central Europe and intermarried with local peoples, the Iberians, forming the Celt-Iberians. Early Greek explorers named the region "Ophiussa" (Greek for "land of serpents") because the natives worshipped serpents. In 238 BC, the Carthaginians occupied the Iberian coasts. In this period several small tribes occupied the territory, the main tribes were the Lusitanians, who lived between the Douro and Tagus rivers, and the Callaeci who lived north of the Douro river among some other tribes. The Conii, influenced by Tartessos, were established in southern Portugal for a long time. The Celtici, a later wave of Celts, settled in Alentejo. In 219 BC, the first Roman troops invaded the Iberian Peninsula, driving the Carthaginians out in the Punic Wars. The Roman conquest of Portugal started from the south, where they found friendly natives, the Conii. Over decades, the Romans increased their sphere of control. But in 194 BC a rebellion began in the north, the Lusitanians successfully held off the Romans, took back land and ransacked Conistorgis, the Conii capital, because of their alliance with Rome. Viriathus, the Lusitanian leader, drove the Roman forces out. Rome sent numerous legions, but success was only achieved by bribing Lusitanian officials to kill their own leader. During this period, a process of Romanization was carried out, leading Lusitania to gain Latin Right in 73 AD.

The kingdom

Main articles: Establishment and Consolidation of the kingdom Consolidation of the kingdom, a national symbol, is known as the "Cradle of Portugal". The Battle of São Mamede took place nearby in 1128.]] In the 5th century, Germanic tribes, most notably the Suevi and the Visigoths, invaded the Iberian peninsula, set up kingdoms, and became assimilated in the Roman culture of the peninsula. An Islamic invasion took place in 711. Many of the ousted nobles took refuge in the unconquered north Asturian highlands. From there they aimed to reconquer their lands from the Moors. In 868, Count Vímara Peres reconquered and governed the region between the Minho and Douro rivers. The county became known as Portucale (i.e. Portugal), due to its most important city, Portucale (today's Porto) and founded a villa with his name - Vimaranes (today's Guimarães) where he chose to live. While a dependency of the Kingdom of León, Portugal occasionally gained de facto independence during weak Leonese reigns, but it lost its autonomy in 1071 due to one of these attempts, ending the rule of the counts of the House of Vímara Peres. Then 20 years later, Count Henry from Burgundy was appointed Count of Portugal as a payment for military services to León, and with the purpose of expanding the territory southwards. The Portuguese territory included only what is now northern Portugal, with its capital in Guimarães. Henry died and his son, Afonso Henriques took control of the county. The city of Braga, the Catholic centre of the Iberian Peninsula, faced new competition from other regions. The lords of the cities of Coimbra and Porto, together with the clergy of Braga, demanded the independence of the county. Porto Portugal traces its emergence as a nation to 24 June 1128, with the Battle of São Mamede by Afonso I. On 5 October 1143 Portugal was formally recognized. Afonso, aided by the Templar Knights, continued to conquer southern lands from the Moors. In 1250 the Portuguese Reconquista ended when it reached the southern coast of Algarve. In an era of several wars when Portugal and Castile tried to control one another, King Ferdinand was dying with no male heirs. His only child, a single daughter, married King John I of Castile who would therefore be the King of Portugal after Fernando's death. However, the impending loss of independence to Castile was not accepted by the majority of the Portuguese people, which led to the 1383-1385 Crisis. A loyalist faction led by John of Aviz (later John I), with the help of Nuno Álvares Pereira, finally defeated the Castilians in Portugal's most historic battle of Portugal, the Battle of Aljubarrota. The victorious John was then acclaimed as king by the people. In the meantime, the Black Death reached Portugal.

The Portuguese discoveries

Main articles: The discoveries and Portuguese Empire Portuguese Empire, Portugal]] In the following decades, Portugal created the conditions that would make it the pioneer in the exploration of the world, since most of the nobles had supported the King of Castile and with the victory of John I, the nobles either fled or were executed. Hence the Portuguese middle class who had supported and helped the victorious King suddenly rose up in the social ranks of Portugal, creating a new dynamic generation which allowed the discoveries to proceed. On 25 July 1415, the Portuguese Empire began when a Portuguese fleet, with King John I and his sons Duarte, Pedro, Henry the Navigator, and Afonso, along with the Portuguese supreme constable Nuno Álvares Pereira departed to besiege and conquer Ceuta in North Africa, a rich Islamic trade centre. On 21 August the city fell. In 1418 two captains of Prince Henry the Navigator, were driven by a storm to an island which they called Porto Santo, or Holy Port, in gratitude for their rescue from the shipwreck. Also in early 15th century, Madeira Island and the Azorean islands were discovered. Henry the Navigator's interest in exploration, together with some technological developments in navigation, made Portugal's expansion possible and led to great advances in geographic knowledge. The discoveries were financed by the wealth of the Order of Christ, an order founded by King Denis for the Templar knights, who found refuge in Portugal after being pursued all over Europe. The Templars had their own objective, searching for the legendary Christian Kingdom of Prester John. In 1434, Gil Eanes rounded Cape Bojador, south of Morocco. The trip marked the beginning of the Portuguese exploration of Africa. Before this voyage very little information was known in Europe about what lay beyond it. At the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th centuries, those who tried to venture there became lost, giving birth to legends of sea monsters. Fourteen years later, on a small island known as Arguim off the coast of Mauritania a castle was built, working as a feitoria (a trading post) for commerce with inland Africa thus, circumventing the Arab caravans that crossed the Sahara. Some time later, the caravels explored the Gulf of Guinea, leading to the discovery of several uninhabited islands and reaching the Congo River. A remarkable achievement was the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope by Bartholomew Dias in 1487. By then the spices of India were nearby, hence the name of the cape. In the last decade of the 15th century, Pêro de Barcelos and João Fernandes Lavrador explored North America , Pêro da Covilhã reached Ethiopia, searching for the mythical kingdom of Prester John, and Vasco da Gama sailed to India. In 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral landed on the Brazilian coast. Ten years later, Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa, in India. In 1578, the young King Sebastian decided to enlarge Portuguese possessions in northern Africa and, despite having no son and heir to the throne, decided to go into battle personally, where he was slain. Because Philip II of Spain was the son of a Portuguese princess, the Spanish ruler became Philip I of Portugal in 1581. Some men claimed to be King Sebastian between 1584 and 1598, originating the Sebastian myth. Portugal formally maintained its independent law, currency, colonies, and government, under a personal union between Portugal and Spain. New empires had emerged and started to assault the Portuguese Empire. The third Spanish king, Philip III tried to further enforce integration, openly attacking the Portuguese nobility that was not in his favour. In 1 December 1640, the Duke of Bragança, of the Portuguese Royal Family, John IV, was acclaimed after a revolutionary turmoil, and a Restoration War was fought for a few more years.

Braganza Dynasty

:Main articles: From the Restoration to the Earthquake, From the Napoleonic Invasion to Civil War and Portugal in the 19th Century Portugal in the 19th Century, over big mountain top rocks, is a mixture of neo-gothic, neo-manueline, neo-islamic, and neo-renaissance styles. (courtesy IPPAR)]] The 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami, which killed more than a third of the capital's (Lisbon was at that time one of the largest and most important cities of Europe) population and devastated the Algarve as well, had a profound effect on domestic politics and on European philosophical thought. From 1801, the country was occupied during the Napoleonic Wars. The Portuguese Court fled to Brazil. Shortly after, Brazil proclaimed its independence, under the rule of the Portuguese King Pedro IV (Emperor Pedro I of Brazil), who abdicated from the Portuguese Crown and left his daughter D. Maria II as Queen in a liberal regime. Portuguese 19th Century is marked by the Liberalism. The divisions between king Pedro IV - liberal - and his brother, King Miguel, a conservative who overthrew Queen Maria II, led to the civil war between 1832 and 1834 and the signing of the new constitution in 1836. The political and social evolution in the late 19th century was marked by instability.
The republics
Main articles: The First Republic, New State and The Third Republic In 1910 a republican revolution deposed the Portuguese monarchy starting the First Republic. Political chaos, strikes, harsh relations with the Catholic Church, and considerable economic problems aggravated by a disastrous military intervention in the First World War led to a military coup d'état (28th May 1926 coup d'état), that installed the Second Republic that would become the New State in 1933, led by António de Oliveira Salazar, an authoritarian right-wing dictatorship, which later evolved into a type of single party corporate regime. Later, Portugal became a founding member of NATO and EFTA, as well as OECD. India invaded Portuguese India in 1961. Independence movements also became active in Angola, Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea, and a series of colonial wars started. The burden of the many colonial overseas wars and the lack of political and civil freedoms led to the end of the regime after the Carnation Revolution in April 25 of 1974, an effectively bloodless left-wing military coup, that promised to install a new democratic regime. In 1975, Portugal had its first free multi-party elections since 1926 and granted independence to its colonies in Africa. In 1976 Indonesia invaded and annexed the Portuguese province of Timor in Asia before legal recognition of its independence by Portugal. In 1999, the Asian dependency of Macau, was returned to Chinese sovereignty, a process considered a success by China and Portugal. After a UN sponsored referendum endorsed by Indonesia and Portugal, in 1999, East Timor voted for independence, which materialised in 2002. In 1986, Portugal entered the EEC (and left EFTA), which was later transformed into the European Union.
Government and politics
The four main organs of Portuguese politics are the President of the Republic, the Parliament, the Council of Ministers (Government), and the Judiciary. The President of the Republic, elected to a 5-year term by universal suffrage is also commander in chief of the armed forces. Presidential powers include appointing the Prime Minister, as advised by the Parliament which elects the Prime Minister, and the Council of Ministers, named by the Prime Minister. Some other major powers include dismissing the Government, dissolving the Parliament, and declaring war or peace. These have several constitutional restrictions, namely the need to consult the presidential advisory body. This is the Council of State, composed of six senior civilian officers, all former presidents elected since 1976, and ten citizens, five chosen by the President and the other five by the Parliament. The most commonly used power is that of approving or vetoing any legislation. The Parliament, or Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República in Portuguese) is a unicameral body composed of 230 deputies. It is elected by universal suffrage according to a system of proportional representation to multi-member constituencies. Deputies serve terms of office of 4 years. The Assembly of the Republic is the main legislative body. The President of Parliament substitutes for the President of the Republic in the event of his absence. The Government is headed by the Prime Minister, who names the Council of Ministers. The Courts have several categories, including judicial, administrative and fiscal. The national Supreme Court is the court of last appeal. A nine-member Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation. The national and regional governments are dominated by two political parties, the PS (Partido Socialista) – centre left and the PSD (Partido Social Democrata) - centre right, both with similar base politics: pro-European, and focusing on market economy and social issues. Within the Portuguese political culture, the PSD is described as centre-right and the PS is described as centre-left. Other parties with seats in the parliament are the PCP (Partido Comunista Português – Communists), PP (Partido Popular – Popular Party), BE (Bloco de Esquerda – Left Block) and PEV (Partido Ecologista Os Verdes – Ecologists). PCP, BE, and Os Verdes are left wing and the PP right wing. PCP and Os Verdes are coalited as CDU (Coligação Democrática Unitária, Democratic Unitary Coalition). As of 2005, José Sócrates is the prime minister for the Socialists, and the party also has an absolute majority in the parliament (121 MPs). Portuguese public opinion and media tend to be Europhile. In the EuroBarometer's 2004 Spring survey, 60% of the Portuguese said they trusted the European Union. Abortion law is restrictive, allowing for legal abortion under some circumstances, such as rape or a life-threatening situation for the mother or the fetus. In a referendum held in 1998 proposing almost free abortion until 12 weeks of gestation, the results were 51% against, 49% in favour. However, the turnout of this election was a scant 31% of the population. A new referendum is promised to be held soon. Possessing small doses of drugs for personal use is not a crime in Portugal, but it can be seen as a cause for civil disorder. Handing out or producing drugs is considered a crime. Gay rights are also upcoming as the sexual orientation is now protected by the Portuguese Constitution following EU's directives, and gay couples can form civil unions.
Foreign relations and military
Main articles: Foreign relations of Portugal and Military of Portugal Foreign relations are essential to Portugal. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, an alliance dating from 1294, has been retained throughout its history, making it the oldest alliance still in force in the world. This English–Portuguese alliance was renewed in 1386 with the Treaty of Windsor. The treaty established a pact of mutual support between the countries. This alliance was used in the successive expulsion of the Spanish kings and broke England's isolation from continental Europe during Napoleon's era. The alliance is kept through NATO, a military organization in which both countries are founders along with 10 other countries including the United States of America. Beyond the EU, the country has established a community with its former colonies, the CPLP, and today has very close and prosperous relations with all of them, including close relations with Cape Verde and East Timor. It has a friendship alliance and a dual citizenship treaty with Brazil. The new government has also prioritized relations with neighbouring Spain. It also has very good relations with China, due to Macau, a meeting-point of both nations, and century-old diplomatic ties with Morocco. Portugal considers Olivença (Olivenza in Spanish, administrated by Spain) Portuguese territory de jure, based on agreements of both nations in the Vienna Treaty of 1815 , but there are not strong diplomatic actions to take it back. Yet, this issue has been discussed at the Portuguese Parliament as recently as 2004. The Portuguese Armed Forces are divided into three branches: Army, Navy, and Air Force. In the 20th century, Portugal had only two major military interventions, the first one in the 1st World War and the other between 1961 and 1974. Portugal was involved in several peacekeeping missions abroad, namely in East Timor, Bosnia, and Kosovo. The government of Durão Barroso through its Minister of Defence, obtained new submarines and other equipment, professionalized the Armed Forces and, since 2003, military service became non-obligatory.
Subdivisions
Durão Barroso] Durão Barroso] Portugal has a complex administrative structure. The base is composed by 308 municipalities (concelho - singular, concelhos - plural), and these are divided into more than 4,000 parishes (freguesias, singular - freguesia). All these are grouped into several superior divisions, some purely administrative, some specify a given activity (i.e. tourist regions or judicial areas), others have a more technical feature, while other have historical or cultural backgrounds like the provinces (províncias, singular - província): Alentejo, Algarve, Beira, Douro Litoral, Estremadura, Minho, Ribatejo, and Trás-os-Montes. The most important division, is from 1976, dividing the continental territory (Portugal continental) and the two island groups (Portugal insular), the Azores and Madeira Islands - the Autonomous regions (regiões autónomas, singular - região autónoma), the country keeps as an unitary republic. The districts (distritos, singular - distrito), are being dismantled, but they keep as the most relevant sub-division of the mainland, serving several purposes: electoral areas or regional football championships. In 1976, the districts were dismantled in the islands. There are five regions (regiões, singular - região) in mainland Portugal, and 28 subregions (subregiões, singular - subregião). These modern division was made in accordance with the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), being used today by the Instituto Nacional de Estatística and the Eurostat, having official status in the European Union. The regions are:
- Alentejo
- Algarve
- Centro
- Lisboa e Vale do Tejo
- Norte A referendum was held in 1997 to create administrative regional autonomies in continental Portugal, but the proposal was rejected by a majority of voters. The need for a better organization led to a newer and urbanized administrative division. Thus they are continuous territorial units made by groups of municipalities. There are three types of Urban areas:
- Grandes Áreas Metropolitanas - Greater Metropolitan Areas (more than 350,000 inhabitants)
- Lisbon - 2,547,665
- Porto - 1,509,958
- Braga, Minho - 754,830
- Aveiro - 460,157
- Coimbra - 430,845
- Faro, Algarve - 391,819
- Viseu - 354,162
- Comunidades Urbanas - Urban Communities (more than 150,000 inhabitants)
- Oeste, Vale do Sousa, Leiria, Lezíria do Tejo, Baixo Alentejo, Trás-os-Montes, Centro Alentejo, Baixo Tâmega, Douro, Médio Tejo, Beiras, Beira Interior Sul, and Alto Alentejo;
- Comunidades Intermunicipais - Intermunicipal Communities (less than 150,000 inhabitants)
- Pinhal and Vale do Minho.
Geography and climate
Continental Portugal is split in two by its main river, the Tagus (Tejo). To the north the landscape is mountainous in the interior areas with plateaus, cut by four breaking lines that allow the development of relevant agricultural areas. The south between the Tejo and the Algarve (the Alentejo) features mostly rolling plains with a climate somewhat warmer and drier than the cooler and rainier north. The Algarve, separated from the Alentejo by mountains, enjoys a Mediterranean climate comparable with Morrocco or Southern Spain, and is the southwesternmost tip of Europe (Sagres). Other major rivers include the Douro, the Minho and the Guadiana, similar to the Tagus in that all originate in Spain. Another important river, the Mondego, originates in the Serra da Estrela (the highest mountains in mainland Portugal - 1,991 m). Serra da Estrela The islands of the Azores and Madeira are located in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, some of the islands have had recent volcanic activity. Originally two islands, São Miguel Island was joined by a volcanic eruption in 1563. The last volcano to erupt was the Vulcão dos Capelinhos (Capelinhos Volcano) in 1957, in the western part of Faial Island, increasing the size of that island. Dom João de Castro Bank is a large submarine volcano that lies midway between the islands of Terceira and São Miguel and rises to 14 m bellow the sea surface. It last erupted in 1720 and formed an island, and it remained above the water for several years. A new island may be formed in a not so distant future. Portugal's highest point is Mount Pico in Pico Island, an ancient volcano, at 2,351 metres. Pico Island The Portuguese coast is extensive, it has 943 km for continental Portugal, 667 km for the Azores, 250 km for Madeira and the Savage Islands . The coast has fine beaches, the Algarve ones are world famous. In Porto Santo Island, a dune formation appeals to many tourists. An important feature on its coast is the Ria de Aveiro (near Aveiro), a delta 45 km in length and a maximum of 11 km in width, rich in fish and sea birds. There are four main channels, between them several islands and islets, and it is where four rivers meet the ocean. A sort of narrow headlands formed a lagoon, seen as one of the most remarkable hydrographic features of the Portuguese coast. Portugal possesses one of the largest exclusive economic zones (EEZ) in Europe, covering 1,727,408 km². Portugal is one of the warmest European countries. In mainland Portugal, average temperatures are 13ºC in the north and 18ºC in the south. Madeira and Azores, due to their location in the Atlantic, are rainy and wet, and have a narrower range of temperatures. Spring and Summer months are usually sunny and the temperatures are very high during July and August, with highs in the centre of the country generally between 30°C and 35°C, sometimes even reaching highs of 45°C in the southern interior. Autumn and Winter are typically rainy and windy, yet sunny days are not rare either, the temperatures rarely fall below 5°C, usually staying at an average of 10°C. Snow is common in the mountainous areas of the north, especially in Serra da Estrela. Portugal's climate is classified as Atlantic-Mediterranean.
Flora and fauna
Aveiro Human activity, diversity of climate, and geographical diversity have shaped the Portuguese Flora. There are almost 2,800 autochthonous species. For economic reasons, pine trees (especially the Pinus pinaster and Pinus pinea species), the chestnut tree and the eucalyptus are very widespread. The Peneda-Gerês National Park (mostly known as Gerês) is located in the extreme north-west of Portugal. The park has a wide variety of oaken and mixed forests, groves, peat bogs, and diverse bushes, including autochthonous and rare species. It is one of the last Iberian harbours of wolves, garranos, golden eagles and honey buzzards amongst many others. The Natural parks of Serra da Estrela, with its broad valleys and turf soils and the Arrábida with its Mediterranean character and the sand varieties of its beaches unveil the ecological variety of Portugal. The Tapada Nacional de Mafra is conspicuous, due to its rich flora and fauna. The Tapada was created in the reign of King John V for royal delight, in an area of 8 square kilometres with deer, wild boars, foxes, birds of prey and several other species. Today, the Tapada is classified as an area of national hunting (Zona de Caça Nacional). A large part of Portugal is covered by forest. Every year, during the hot and dry Summer months, large areas of forest are destroyed by fires, many of which (an estimated 40% in 2004) caused by arson. In 2005 this problem was aggravated by a severe drought affecting Mainland Portugal. In the year to September 2005, three quarters of Mainland Portugal saw less than half the normal rainfall, and the remaining quarter less than 60%.
Economy
Portugal is a market economy, its per capita output stands at 76% of EU-15 average. Portuguese GDP grew by 1% in real terms in 2004. It was expected to grow 1.8% by the (IMF) in 2005. Overall, the country's recovery is gradual, although the financial sector has remained strong. In the second quarter of 2005, the unemployment rate dropped to 7.2%, still lower than the EU average but converging(this was the first decrease since 2001). A new Labour Law published in December 2003 increased the flexibility of working arrangements, although it has yet to prove its role in decreasing unemployment, especially among the youngest and the oldest of working-age population. The current administration is committed to expand market liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and simplifying the admistrative burden on companies. It is also committed to promote investment in research and information technologies to improve productivity and competitiveness. unemployment Industrialization boomed in the 1950s with Salazar's regime, leading to an average of 6% annual growth of the GDP between 1959 and 1963, 7% between 1965 and 1967, after dropping to 5.2% in 1964. Due to international crisis, the growth largely stopped. Since 1985, the country started its modernization in a very stable environment (1985 - to the present day) and it joined the European Economic Community in 1986. Successive governments have implemented various reforms and privatised many state-controlled firms and liberalised key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. Portugal developed an increasingly service-based economy and it was one of the eleven founding countries of the Euro in 1999, with very restrictive criteria, and began circulating the new currency on January 1, 2002 along with twelve other EU members. A considerable part of continental Portugal is dedicated to agriculture, although it does not represent most of the economy. The south has developed an extensive monoculture of cereals and olive trees and the Douro Valley in vineyards. Olive trees (4,000 km²), vineyards (3,750 km²), wheat (3,000 km²) and maize (2,680 km²) are produced in vast areas. Portuguese wine and olive oil are especially praised by nationals for their quality, thus external competition (even at much lower prices) has had little effect on consumer demand, a situation that does not occur with other products. Portugal is a traditional wine grower, and has exported its wines since the dawn of western civilization; Port Wine and Vinho Verde (Green Wine) are the leading exporters. Portugal is also a quality producer of fruits, namely the Algarve oranges and Oeste region's Pera Rocha (a type of pear). Other exports are horticulture, floriculture, beet sugar, sunflower oil, and tobacco. Natural resources such as copses cover about 34% of the country, namely pine trees (13,500 km²), cork oak (6,800 km²), holm oak (5,340 km²), and eucalyptus (2,430 km²). The large-scale growing of eucalyptus for the paper and woodchip industries has been controversial, as eucalyptus trees have very deep roots, and lead to a lowering of the water table. This has been a contributory factor in the high rate of arson, as failing farmers vent their frustrations. Cork is a major export, Portugal produces half of the world's cork. Significant mining resources are tungsten, tin, and uranium. The major industries are the textile, footwear, leather, furniture, ceramics (highlighting the international popularity of Vista Alegre), and cork. Modern industries have developed significantly, including: oil refineries, petrochemistry, cement production, automotive and ship industries, electrical and electronics industries, machinery and paper industries. Portugal has an ambitious and well-planned complex of petrochemical industries in Sines where the biggest oil refinery of the Iberian peninsula will be built. Automotive and other mechanical industries are located in Setúbal, Porto, Aveiro, Braga, Santarém, and Azambuja. Portugal's balance of trade is negative. It buys mostly in the European Union from: Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. It also sells most of its products within the union to: Germany, Spain, and France mostly. Portugal is trying to develop a cultural and rustic tourism, rather than only beach tourism, in order to attract more affluent tourists often concerned in getting to know the real Portugal. The interior of the nation has a decreasing population, but exceptional touristic potential. The Algarve, with its different beaches has been the primary attraction for decades, but it has suffered from mass tourism, and the authorities have been working to recover the 1960's Algarve, namely recovering the coast and demolishing illegal urbanizations. Mass tourism has caused some ecological damage in the Algarve, for example water shortages. The Lisbon area has recently become a very popular destination, mostly due to the city of Lisbon urban historical attractions, but also due to Sintra's fabled palaces and castles located in very romantic and exotic scenery. The island territories of Madeira and the Azores have also a growing potential.
Transportation and communications
Main articles: Transportation in Portugal and Communications in Portugal Communications in Portugal Communications in Portugal disciple]] Transportation was seen as a priority in the 1990s, pushed by the growing use of automobiles and industrialization. The country has a 68,732 km network of highways. 1,300 km is the total length of 44 freeways that connect most of the country. Seaports are important due to Portugal's large coastline, and its strategic position in Europe and in the Atlantic ocean. The main seaports are Lisbon in the centre, Leixões (Porto) in the North, Setúbal and Sines in the south, Funchal and Ponta Delgada in the Atlantic. The most important airports are those of Lisbon, Faro and Porto, these last two had extensive development recently. There are also important airports in the islands, such has the airport of Funchal (Madeira Island), Porto Santo (Porto Santo Island