Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe. It was founded in the first half of the 12th century by king D. Afonso Henriques. In the 15th century, Portugal started and led the epic sailing adventure which extended all the way to Japan, around Africa, and South America. In the late 20th century, after a bloodless revolution, Portugal has become a democracy, which is part of the European Union since 1986.
Portugal has three major, international, airports: Porto, Lisbon, and Faro, the latter in the far south. There are several low cost airlines flying to Portugal.