9 Countries That Were Portuguese Colonies

World Map of Portuguese Colonies

Portugal founded a few colonies on the coast of Canada to exploit rich fishing grounds but later shifted its focus to South America. Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique were the largest Portuguese colonies in land area, but Portugal also seized numerous islands and bases in other countries to facilitate trade. The practice of slavery was one of the most condemned aspects of Portuguese colonialism. The persistence of Portuguese language and culture in many of their former colonies, especially Brazil, is an enduring legacy today.

Where is Portuguese Spoken Today?

A Portuguese-speaking country is called a “Lusophone” country. There are about 230 million native speakers of Portuguese in the world and another 25-30 million people who speak it as a second language. It is the 5th-most spoken language on the planet. The following nine countries are part of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries:

• Portugal
• Brazil
• Angola
• Mozambique
• Cape Verde
• Guinea-Bissau
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Timor-Leste
• Equatorial Guinea

1. Angola

Angola in southwest Africa was a Portuguese colony from 1575-1975. Cotton was one of its predominant crops and it exported cloth to Europe. It was also a major source of slaves, who were exported to Brazil at a rate of 10,000 a year by the early 17th century. Angolans fought for their independence through years of insurgency long after most of the rest of Africa had been decolonized. After a military coup in Portugal in 1974, the new regime announced its intention to grant independence to its colonies. Angola and the rest of Portugal’s colonies became independent the following year.

2. Brazil

Portuguese colonization of Brazil started in 1500 and lasted until 1822. Much of the territory was in dispute with Spain until the Pope mediated an agreement that divided the South American continent between them. When Napoleon invaded Portugal in 1807, the country’s royal court moved to Brazil and elevated it to the status of a kingdom. The royal court returned to Portugal in 1821 but Prince Pedro, the heir to the throne, refused to return. He was crowned Brazil’s first king, Dom Pedro I. This marked Brazil’s independence from the Portuguese empire. Today, Brazil is a thriving democracy and rapidly rising economic and political power. Together with Russia, India, China, and South Africa, it is part of the BRICS international development organization.

3. Cape Verde

From 1462-1975 Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony. Because of its dry climate, agriculture was always tenuous on the islands. However, its location made it a strategic hub for the Atlantic slave trade and a resupply point for ships sailing from Portugal to its colonies in South America and Africa. Cape Verde became an independent nation in 1975 when Portugal withdrew from most of its overseas territories.

4. Goa (India)

Goa is a region on the southwestern Indian coast captured by the Portuguese in 1510. It was their first colony in Asia, and they made it the regional capital of their empire. Portugal managed to keep it under their control for 451 years. India invaded and annexed it in 1961 and it was made a state in 1987. Today it is one of India’s smallest states but has the highest per capita GDP of any of them.

5. Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau was part of the Portuguese Empire from 1446-1974. It is a tiny country on the coast of West Africa bordering Senegal and Guinea. It took Portugal until 1936 to assert complete control over the whole territory. After independence, Guinea-Bissau has experienced a great deal of political and economic instability. About 35% of the population speaks Portuguese today and 94% speak Guinea-Bissau Creole, which is based on Portuguese.

6. Macau (China)

Macau is a city on the Chinese coast that Portugal controlled from 1557-1999. It became one of the top gambling cities in the world, generating seven times more revenue from games of chance than Las Vegas. Macau has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Portugal returned it to China two years after the United Kingdom returned Hong Kong to Chinese control. Like Hong Kong, Macau is governed as a special administrative region that has its own system of governance and economics separate from the rest of China in a system known as “one country, two systems.”

7. Mozambique

Mozambique in southeast Africa was a Portuguese colony for nearly 500 years from 1500-1975. Upon independence a Marxist government came to power, influenced by Cuba and the Soviet Union. The country had a civil war from 1977-1992. In 1994, Mozambique had its first multiparty elections and has had a stable government since then. It still combats some insurgents in the northern part of the country.

8. São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe is an island country consisting of two main islands with surrounding archipelagos. When the Portuguese discovered them, they were uninhabited. Portugal ruled and colonized the islands from 1470-1975. The rich volcanic soil made them a favorable place for sugar, coffee, and cocoa cultivation. They were also strategically important for the Atlantic slave trade. Today, the country is among the most stable and democratic in Africa.

9. Timor-Leste

Formerly known as East Timor, Timor-Leste is located on the eastern half of the island of Timor. The western half of the island is part of Indonesia. Colonized by Portugal since 1556, the country declared its independence in 1975 and was promptly invaded by Indonesia. After over 20 years of resistance, Indonesia understood it could not pacify the territory and agreed to a UN plan to transition the region to independence. In 2002, Timor-Leste became the first new country of the 21st century.