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Iberian Union

Explorer · ages 7 and underAdapted from Wikipedia
A map showing the Iberian Peninsula and nearby areas of southern Europe, with the councils of the Iberian Union (not all of them are shown).

A Long Time Ago

The Iberian Union was a time from 1580 to 1640. During this time, the Monarchy of Spain under the Habsburg dynasty also ruled the Kingdom of Portugal. Both countries are on the Iberian Peninsula.

One King, Many Lands

Each kingdom kept its own laws and government. The kings came from the House of Habsburg, and they were the link that joined the lands together. The kings were Philip II, Philip III, and Philip IV. In 1562, Philip II made Madrid the main city for the kings to live in.

Portugal was one of the lands in the union. The union also reached far across the world. It had lands on every continent known at the time, including Brazil and parts of Asia.

Portugal Becomes Free Again

The union ended when John IV became king of Portugal. He was from the House of Braganza, and he became the new ruler of Portugal. In 1668, Spain agreed that Portugal could be its own country again.

A Special Story

The Spanish city of Ceuta was part of Portugal until the union ended in 1640. After that, Ceuta chose to stay with Spain. Its coat of arms still looks a lot like the one for Portugal.

Quiz time!

3 questions about Iberian Union

Question 1 of 3

Which land did the king of Spain also rule?

Pictures

A royal banner showing the coat of arms used by King Philip II of Spain, from the House of Habsburg, during the years 1580 to 1668.
A map of Spain made in 1570 by the Flemish mapmaker Abraham Ortelius, showing how the Iberian Peninsula was drawn over 450 years ago.
A 17th-century map of Salvador da Bahia, drawn by João Teixeira Albernaz, showing the city during the period of the Dutch and Spanish-Portuguese conflict.
The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarve used during the constitutional monarchy, from 1834 to 1910. It shows a shield with a laurel wreath around it.
A painting by Veloso Salgado showing the proclamation of John IV as king of Portugal in 1640.

Keep exploring

Philip II of Spain
Spanish language
Portuguese language
Habsburg Spain
Kingdom of Portugal
Iberian Peninsula

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Iberian Union, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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