ABSTRACT
The wide sweep of Portuguese history must be studied in order to identify the nature of the "confining conditions" from the past which contain and frustrate "breakthroughs" to and the institutionalization of new political forms. Several factors encouraged the molding of a single national Portuguese identity. The first factor was the vast emigration of the Moslem population from the southern part of Portugal into the unconquered areas of Spain and to Africa and the simultaneous immigration of large numbers of Christians from the north. A second factor in the development of a common Portuguese national identity was the introduction of a unified market system which created an economic infrastructure linking northern and southern economic zones as well as urban and rural areas. Effective control was further achieved by centralizing and systematizing public finance, administration, law enforcement, and justice. The problem of effective control of the central government reached crisis proportions twice in Portuguese history.
