Flag of Portugal

Flag origins

Portugal's flag has green at the hoist and red at the fly, with national arms over a golden armillary sphere at their boundary. Following the revolution of 5 October 1910, the republic replaced the monarchy's blue and white. Approved initially in November 1910, it was formally established on 19 June 1911. The sphere evokes navigation and the Age of Discoveries. The shield contains five blue small shields with white discs, surrounded by seven golden castles. Some familiar explanations of these details are later legends rather than established origins.

Flag story

The armillary sphere was King Manuel I's personal emblem, retained by the republic as an enduring symbol of maritime exploration. A famous legend links the five shields to Afonso Henriques defeating five Muslim rulers at Ourique, and the five white discs to Christ's wounds. The presidential museum presents these as traditions developed around the fifteenth century, distinct from the actual origins of the heraldry.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Portugal — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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