Flag
of Portugal

History of the Portuguese Flag
The Portuguese flag was adopted on June 30, 1911.
However, the flag had been in use since a revolution overthrew the
monarchy on October 5, 1910. Portugal originally declared independence
from the Kingdom of Leon in 1128 and in 1170 independence was recognized
by the Pope. The emblems on the Portuguese flag date back to the 12th
century. The white shield with five blue shields is the arms adopted by
Alfonso Henriques I, after he defeated the Moors to establish the
Christian kingdom of Portugal in 1139.
Meaning of the Portuguese Flag
The red section represents the Portuguese revolution
of 1910 and the green represents hope. The white shield consists of five
blue shields with five white dots. The blue shields represent the first
king of Portugal, Alfonso Henriques I, victory over five Moorish kings
and the divine assistance he received to do so is represented by the
five dots, which symbolize the five wounds of Christ. Arranged in a
cross the shields represent Christianity. The red border featuring seven
castles symbolizes the extension of Portugal's territory to include the
Algarve. Behind the arms there is a navigational instrument, an
armillary sphere. It celebrates Prince Henry the Navigator, who
initiated the maritime exploration that led to Portugal's one time
colonial empire.
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