Was portugal part of spain?

The phrasing of the question ("How did Portugal become and stay independent of Spain" - and your reference to "taking it back") seems to imply that Portugal was a part of Spain that, at one moment, gained independence. read more

Portugal (Portuguese: ), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa ), is a sovereign state located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain. read more

Portugal–Spain relations describes relations between the governments of the Portuguese Republic and the Kingdom of Spain. The two states make up the vast majority of the Iberian Peninsula and as such, the relationship between the two is sometimes known as Iberian relations. read more