Portuguese is a Romance language with origins in the Iberian Peninsula and is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe. It is also spoken as a second language in several other countries. With over 200 million native speakers, Portuguese is one of the most widely spoken languages globally. It has a significant historical and cultural impact, particularly due to the influence of Portuguese explorers during the Age of Discovery.

The language evolved from Galician-Portuguese, a language spoken in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Portuguese exhibits dialectal variations, with Brazilian Portuguese being the most notable due to its distinct phonological and grammatical features. As a major world language, Portuguese has a vibrant literary tradition, with renowned authors such as Luís de Camões contributing to its rich body of literature.