Romani people in Portugal Romani people in Portugal The Romani people in Portugal are known by non-Romani ethnic Portuguese as (), but are also alternatively known as , , and . As implied by some of their most common local names, the native Portuguese Romani belong to the Iberian Kale (Kalos) group, like most of the fellow Lusophone Brazilian , and the Spanish Romani people, known as , that share their same ethnic group. Their presence in the country goes back to the second half of the 15th century when they crossed the border from neighbouring Spain. Early on, due to their sociocultural differences,
Culture of Portugal León see County of Portugal) and became an independent kingdom in 1139. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was a major economic, political, and cultural power, its global empire stretching from Brazil to the Indies, as well as Macau and Japan. Portugal, as a country with a long history, is home to several ancient architectural structures, as well as typical art, furniture and literary collections mirroring and chronicling the events that shaped the country and its peoples. It has a large number of cultural landmarks ranging from museums to ancient church buildings to medieval castles, which testify its rich