O mar português na política externa portuguesa do século XXI

The thesis we present now deals with the theme “The Portuguese Sea in portuguese Foreign Policy of the 21ST Century”. The goal of the research is to clarify the role of the Portuguese Sea as a structural element of Portuguese Foreign Policy. To this end, we try to clarify the relationship between the maritime nature of the Portuguese national identity and some of the options set out in its National Strategic Concept. In the wake of this journey, we investigated the economic and geopolitical foundations that make the Portuguese Sea a factor of power to conserve, enhance and defend. The research that we now present concluded that the Portuguese Sea is fundamental and structuring of several elements of the organization of Portugal – the National Identity, the National Strategic Concept, the international integration, the security and defense and the economy –, which is why it is true to say that it influences the Portuguese Foreign Policy of the 21St Century