#age of discovery

Portugal: A Financial History — From the Age of Discovery to the Eurozone Bailout

A comprehensive financial history of Portugal, tracing its trajectory from the wealth of the Age of Discovery and Brazilian gold to nineteenth-century bankruptcy and Salazar's corporatist fiscal conservatism. It examines the country's rapid integration into the European Union and the subsequent credit-fueled boom. Finally, it analyzes the structural failures that culminated in the dramatic 2011 sovereign debt bailout and the post-crisis recovery.