Lusotropicalism

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Lusotropicalism is a belief and movement especially strong during the Salazar dictatorship of Portugal (the Estado Novo), proposing that the Portuguese were better colonizers than other European nations. It was believed that because of Portugal's warmer climate, being geographically close to Africa, and having been inhabited by Moors in pre-modern times, the people of Portugal were more humane, friendly, and adaptable to other climates and peoples. In addition, by the early 20th century, Portugal was by far the European colonial power with the oldest territorial presence overseas, in some cases its territories had been continuously settled and ruled by the Portuguese throughout five centuries. It celebrated both actual and mythological elements of racial democracy in the Portuguese Empire, and was a pro-miscegenation attitude toward the colonies/overseas territories. It is best exemplified in the work of Gilberto Freyre.