July 26, 1139: In this year, Afonso Henriques founded the Kingdom of Portugal and made himself the king. The Iberian Peninsula’s western monarchy, the Kingdom of Portugal, served as the forerunner of the present Portuguese Republic. It was also known as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves between 1815 and 1822. It existed to varying degrees between 1139 and 1910 and was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves after 1415. The Portuguese Empire, the realm’s overseas colonies, is frequently referred to by this moniker as well.

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