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History The Conii, influenced by Tartessos, were established by the sixth century BC in the region of the Algarve. They would be strongly influenced by the Celtici. The Phoenicians had established trading ports along the coast circa 1000 BC. The Carthaginians founded Portus Hanibalis—known today as Portimão—in circa 550 BC. The Romans in the 2nd century BC spread through the Iberian Peninsula, and many Roman ruins can still be seen in the region, notably in Lagos. In the 5th century, the Visigoths inhabited the Algarve until the beginning of the Moorish invasion in 711. When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716 it was called Zawaia. Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon, which means "the settlement of the Knights". Due to the Moorish occupation of much of Iberia, the region was called "Al-Gharb" which means "the country of the West". In the 12th century, the Moorish occupation ended: the "Al-Gharb" has been since then the Algarve. It was not until the 13th century that the Portuguese finally secured the region against subsequent Moorish attempts to recapture the area. In the 15th century, Henry the Navigator based himself in Sagres and conducted various maritime expeditions which established Portugal as a colonial power. The Algarve was a semi-autonomous area with a governor from 1595 to 1808, as well as a separate taxation system until the end of the 18th century. During this time, to reflect the Algarve's unique status, Portuguese monarchs were known as "King of Portugal and The Algarves". In 1807, when Junot was leading the first Napoleonic invasion in the north of Portugal, the Algarve was occupied by the Spanish troops of Manuel Godoy. The Algarve became the first part of Portugal to liberate itself from Spanish occupation, in the rebellion of Olhão in 1808. As traditional agricultural products, the productions of fig, almond are noteworthy, medronho and carob bean and cork oak production, nominated in the northeast of the Algarve. Tourism in the Algarve In the 1960s the Algarve became a very popular destination for tourism, mainly from Britain. It has since become a common destination for the Germans and the Dutch. Many of these tourists own their own property. There are Algarve-based English-written publications and newspapers specifically addressed to this community. Recently, the Algarve has been investing in the creation of a network of golf courses. One well known beach in the Algarve is Praia da Luz. Portals | ||||||||||
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