Once upon a time, about year 1.140, there was a Countess, her husband and their son. They ruled the Condado Portucalense, lands around Braga, owned by the León`s King, father of Countess Tareja and let them had some autonomy.
The son, Afonso Henriques was his name, once decided he must be King of that land.
He did that, in Zamora was crowned as King of a new country called Portugal. He was brave, tough, but was not that good in strategy. He gathered his men in arms and went south to chase moors and arrived to a little town, around seven hills, called Lissabon and set there his place.
Time after time, the kings of Portugal, set up scientific navigation around the world, had power and ownership of lands in South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
At the end, they lost all that lands and power, but the moors never went away from south of Portugal.
After the kings, arrive politicians, clowns, few clever people, bankers, pick pockets, football players, Lisbon did no more ruled far away lands, but it was no problem, they owned the country and did what they fancy.