The Northern area (in Portuguese: Região Norte ) is a Portuguese area which includes/understands:

• the totality of the districts of Viana C Castelo, Braga, Oporto, Villa Real and Bragance,
• a fraction of the districts of Aveiro, Viseu and Guarda.

The Northern area is bordering:

• in north and the east, of the Spain,
• in the south, of the area Centers.
• It has moreover a maritime frontage, in the west, on the Atlantic Ocean.

• Surface: 21.278 km ² (24% of Portugal (continental)).

• Population (2001): 3.687.212 inhabitants (37% of continental Portugal).
• Many municipalities: 86 (27,8% of the national total).

The area is subdivided into 8 under-areas:

• Ave
• Cávado
• Douro
• Between Douro and Vouga (in Portuguese: Between Douro E Vouga )
• Large Oporto (in Portuguese: Grande Oporto )
• Haut Trás-bone-Assemble Portuguese (: Alto Trás-bone-Assemble )
• Minho-Lima
• Tâmega

History

See also: History of Portugal

Antiquity

See also: Portugal pre-Roman, Gallaecia, Suèves

The territory of the Northern of Portugal current barrel in the beginning populated by populations which developed locally at the time of the Paléolithique, and which were at the origin of the Rupestral Gravures of Vale C Côa. The Celtes emigrated of Central Europe for the surroundings towards 550 before J-C, developing a culture known as the culture known as of '' castros ''. They were organized in gentes, a species of family clan which bound the tribes, although each one of enters were independent, in a kind of federation. This organization social and its natural bellicosity made it possible these people to resist with tough to the Roman invaders. Decimus Junus Brutus, after the conquest of ultimate fears peninsular still resisting the Roman occupation, takes the name of loan of Callaicus ( the Galician ). The territory of the south of the Douro to the sea of Galicia was known under the name of Gallaecia Bracarense. Roman province of the same name also formed part Gallaecia Lucense and Gallaecia Asturicense. The Suèves founded the Royaume of Portu-Fixes, of which capital was to it Bracara Braga, including the Galicia and having like limit the Tage in its largest extension; the Visigoths conquered this kingdom in politically 580, while enjoying nevertheless a great autonomy inside peninsular space wisigothe. But invaded later by the Moors, the reconquest of the grounds lost by them quickly (into 750) were recovered and attached to the Royaume of Galicia. The county of Portugal or Comté Portucalense was established after the reconquest of Oporto by Vímara Peres, in 868, like portions out of this kingdom.

Formation and Consolidation of the Kingdom

See also: County Portucalense, Independence of Portugal

Although the existence of the population to the mouth of the Douro during the Roman period is confirmed, the same one does not arrive by its exact localization; the Parochial Suève of São Martinho de Dume, studied by Pierre David after his identification by Prof Avelino of Jesus da Costa, refers, of the centuries after, to people which indicated like PORTVCALE CASTRVM ANTIQVVM , in left bank, and the other, the PORTVCALE CASTRVM NOVVUM , on the right.

As for the field of the Suèves, Portucale was the theater various events, of which imprisonment of Requiário during the invasion of Teodorico (457), the revolt of its Agiulfo governor, who claimed with being acclaimed king and was carried out, and the ultimate battle (585), of Andeca, the last king suève in Galicia, overcome by Leovigildo.

As for the Moslem Invasion of Iberian peninsula, Portucale was already, as of second half of the 6th century, the capital of the Diocèse of Portucalense, located in the province of Galécia, and having like metropolitan the Evêché de Braga. After the invasion, the diocese did not survive, having hardly restored after the reconquest of Oporto, into 868.

Portugal constituted in kingdom independent with D. Afonso I starting from the Northern of Portugal , during its reign was conquered most of the territory, with the support of the valiant populations of the north of the country.