The sea in geopolitcs of Portugal

Abstract

The sea is a constant in Portuguese geopolitics. From the age of the discoveries through the colonial period to participation in the Atlantic Alliance (1949) the country has sought in a maritime space a balance of power with neighboring Spain. With decolonization (1974) and membership of the European Union (1986), Portugal, traditionally a permanent ally of the dominant maritime power – firstly of England and then of the United States - , moved closer to continental Europe. However, peripheral to Europe, the country sought centrality in the Lusophone world (the Comunidade de Países de Língua Portuguesa [Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries] was created in 1996) and by assuming a Euro-Atlantic position within the European Union. Endowed with an extensive exclusive economic zone, Portugal retains a wealth of the potential resources of a maritime economy, and at the same time the entailed vulnerabilities in respect of the need for supervision and security. The Portuguese diaspora and universalism (both of which have deep historical roots) are valuable assets in today’s globalized world system.