Kingdom of the Algarve

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The Kingdom of the Algarve (Portuguese: Reino do Algarve, from the Arabic Gharb al-Andalus غَرْب الأنْدَلُس, "Western al-'Andalus") was a nominal kingdom within the Kingdom of Portugal, located in the southernmost region of continental Portugal. From 1471 onwards it came to encompass Portugal's holdings in North Africa, which were referred to as "African Algarve" (Algarve Africano) or "Algarve-Beyond-the-Sea" (Algarve d'Além-Mar), in contrast with "European Algarve" (Algarve Europeu; Algarve d'Aquém-Mar, literally "Algarve on this side of the sea"); as such, the name of the kingdom was pluralized to Kingdom of the Algarves (Portuguese: Reino dos Algarves), even after Portugal's last North African outpost was abandoned in 1769. Despite the name implying a degree of separateness from the rest of Portugal, it lacked any unique institutions, special privileges, or notable autonomy, and was politically very similar to other Portuguese provinces, with "King of the Algarve" being a simple honorific...

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