Pluricontinentalism (Portuguese:Pluricontinentalismo) was ageopolitical concept framingPortugal as atranscontinental country and aunitarynation-state made up of bothcontinental Portugal and itsoverseas provinces. Tracing its roots to as early as the 14th century, pluricontinentalism was later promoted under theEstado Novo regime as a last attempt to justify retaining its remaining colonies. It presented Portugal not as acolonial empire but as a single nation-state spanning multiple continents, giving rise to the term.[1][2]
Through this concept, Portugal's overseas possessions were regarded as integral to its national identity. The first instance of Portugal being a pluricontinental country occurred during the reign ofMaria I of Portugal, with the establishment of theUnited Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, when the royal court resided inBrazil andRio de Janeiro functioned as the national capital. The notion of pluricontinentalism collapsed after theCarnation Revolution in 1974, leading to the independence of the remaining colonies. ThePortuguese Empire formally came to an end in 1999 with theHandover of Macau.
