The Portuguese Wikipedia, known in Portuguese as Wikipédia em Português, is the edition of Wikipedia written in the Portuguese language. Created in June 2001, it is a community-maintained, free-content encyclopedia that serves readers and contributors across Portugal, Brazil and other Lusophone regions. Its contents follow the same basic principles common to Wikimedia projects: neutral point of view, verifiability and free licensing.

Overview

This edition uses the MediaWiki software and publishes articles under free licenses (such as Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike and related documentation licenses). Articles cover general knowledge topics as well as subjects of particular interest to Portuguese-speaking communities: national histories, literature, music, geography and sport. The project is governed by volunteer editors, with a mix of regular contributors, administrators and automated tools (bots) that help maintain quality and organization.

History and growth

Launched in mid-2001, the Portuguese Wikipedia grew steadily as internet access expanded in Portuguese-speaking countries. Over time it reached major milestones in article count and community size, becoming one of the larger language editions. It now contains more than one million articles and continues to expand through the combined efforts of hobbyists, academics and casual editors.

Features and community

Key features include policies and guidelines adapted to Portuguese-language needs, templates and categories in Portuguese, and forums for dispute resolution and collaboration. Editors often balance different spelling norms—Brazilian and European Portuguese—by adopting style guidance that allows variant forms where appropriate. The community also organizes edit-a-thons, outreach efforts and collaborations with libraries and educational institutions.

Uses and importance

As a widely consulted reference in Portuguese, this edition supports education, research and public information. It is used by students, teachers, journalists and the general public as a first-access resource. Its articles are cross-linked with other Wikimedia projects such as Wikimedia Commons and Wikisource, which enrich multimedia and primary-source content accessible to readers.

Notable distinctions

  • Language focus: articles are written in Portuguese, accommodating regional variants.
  • Community-driven: content creation and moderation are voluntary and distributed.
  • Free licensing: reuse and redistribution are permitted under open licenses.