Portuguese Empire 葡萄牙帝國

Explore the full postal history of the Portuguese Empire, one of the earliest global empires, with a colonial presence spanning Asia, Africa, and South America. Portugal established key trading posts and colonies in Asia from the early 1500s, including Goa (1510), Malacca (1511), and Macau (1557). These territories developed their own postal systems under Portuguese administration, with stamps often printed in Lisbon and featuring imperial imagery. Portuguese post offices operated in these regions to support maritime trade and colonial governance. Macau remained under Portuguese control until its handover to China in 1999. The empire’s postal history reflects centuries of imperial influence, particularly in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, and showcases Portugal’s role in early global communication networks.