Anachronistic attempts to hold onto colonies in the face of nationalist independence movements resulted in costly wars in Africa and led to the Revolution of the Carnations, a bloodless military coup on 25 April 1974. The granting of independence to Portugal's African colonies in 1974-5, resulted in a flood of over 500,000 refugees into the country. Portugal's remaining overseas territories include Macau, which is scheduled to be handed over to the Chinese in 1999, and the semi-autonomous archipelagos of the Azores and the Madeira Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The most striking craft is the making of decorative tiles known as azulejos , a technique the Portuguese learnt from the Moors. Arguably the country's finest poet and dramatist to emerge this century is Fernando Pessoa.
Portuguese food is cheap, delicious and served in gut-expanding portions.
At the core of many are religious processions. The further north you go, the more traditional and less touristy these celebrations get. Carnival is one of the biggest events, featuring partying, parading and painted faces about six weeks before Easter. There are vast and colourful processions during Braga's Easter or Holy Week Festival. As of July 1999, Australian citizens must obtain a visa from their nearest Portuguese consulate before entering the country.