Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)

The CPLP was formed in 1996 with seven countries: The Portuguese-speaking countries are home to more than 223 million people located across the globe.


1) Portugal
2) Brazil, South America and

five former colonies in Africa
a) Angola
b) Cape Verde
c) Guinea-Bissau
d) Mosambique
e) Sao Tome and Principe

f) East Timor joined the community in 2002 after gaining independence.

One of the features of the CPLP is that its members are linked by a common language and shared cultural features, which form a bridge among countries separated by great distances and on different continents.

In 2005, during a meeting in Luanda, the ministers of culture of the eight countries declared the 5 May as the Lusophone Culture Day.

In July 2006, during the Bissau summit,
g) Equatorial Guinea and
h) Mauritius were admitted as Associate Observers along with 17 International associations and organizations considered as Consultative Observers.

In 2008,
i) Senegal was admitted as Associate Observer.