Introduction

Nineteen ninety-eight became known as ‘the year of Portugal’, when two events focused world attention more than usually on this small, peripheral West European nation. The inauguration of the Vasco da Gama bridge, Europe’s longest, was interpreted by many as symbolizing Portugal’s crossing from the periphery into the Continental mainstream, while Lisbon’s hosting of Expo-98 demonstrated that it deserved its place in modern Europe. Coinciding, as it did, with news of qualification to join as a founder member of the new currency, the euro, added to the general feeling that this was indeed Portugal’s year.