The Portuguese Empire

• The first steps the Portuguese took in expanding its territory was with conquests on the Canary Islands and establishing colonies on vacant islands in the Azores and Madeira. The small, European nation controlled lands in the Americas, Africa and Asia from the 15th century to the 20th century. By the 1970s, most of Portugal's colonies had gained independence and in 1999, control over its last overseas territory, Macao, ended.
  
  

Americas

• The Treaty of Tordesillas between Portugal and Spain in 1494 divided newly discovered territories in South America between the two countries. The Portuguese arrived in Brazil in 1500, establishing a colony that would be controlled by Portugal until the territory gained independence in 1822. With an estimated population of approximately 190 million, Brazil is the most populous Portuguese-speaking nation in the world. Portugal also briefly claimed or occupied land in Uruguay, French Guiana, Greenland and Canada.
  
  

Africa

• Portugal's presence in Africa began in 1415 with the conquest of Ceuta in Morocco. Most of Portugal's overseas territories were located in Africa. Angola, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Mozambique were at one time colonies and overseas provinces of Portugal. Gaining independence in 1974 and 1975, these countries have retained Portuguese as the official language. Portugal also possessed or occupied small territories and outposts, mainly from the 15th to 17th centuries, in countries across Africa, including Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands -- present day Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles -- Kenya, Tanzania, Benin and Senegal.
  
  

Asia

• Following the discovery of the sea route between Portugal and India by Vasco da Gama in the late 15th century, the Portuguese established control of various territories in India until the 1960s. The last Portuguese territories in India, including Goa, Daman and Diu, were annexed by India. In addition, Portugal controlled territory in present-day Iran, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia, Malaysia and East Timor. On the Arabian Peninsula, Portugal also maintained possessions in Bahrain, Yemen, Oman and Qatar.