Maria I of Portugal forced Portugal to cede Olivença and other border towns to Spain. (This cession is not recognized by the present Portuguese government, and the country officially considers those territories still to be Portuguese possessions.) On September 29, 1801 John VI signed the Treaty of Madrid (1801), ceding half of Guyana to France, which became French Guiana. The refusal of the Portuguese government to join the French-sponsored Continental Blockade against Britain culminated in the late 1807 Franco-Spanish invasion of Portugal led by General Junot. The ultimate Napoleonic plan for Portugal was to split it into three sections. The northern parts of Portugal,
The Portugal News The Portugal News The Portugal News is a national weekly newspaper in English published in Portugal. Established in 1977, "The Portugal News" is published weekly. The paper is the longest established English-language newspaper in publication in Portugal. It is politically neutral and carries current comment on the latest political developments each week. News on a local and national level is carried from throughout Portugal, with the aim of keeping expatriate residents and visitors fully informed about Portugal in the English language. In addition the website allows searching several years of editorials, which is useful for researching the country. "The Portugal