Imagine waking up one morning and learning that your country's government had completely changed while you slept. That is what happened in Portugal. For centuries, kings and queens ruled Portugal. The country was a monarchy. But by the early 1900s, many Portuguese citizens were unhappy. The government spent too much money. People were poor. Schools were not improving. A group called the Republican Party organized a revolt. On October 5, 1910, they took control of Lisbon, the capital city. King Manuel II fled the country by ship. He never returned. Portugal became a republic, a country where leaders are elected by the people. The new government made big changes. They separated the church from the government. They created new schools. They gave workers more rights. The new green and red flag replaced the old blue and white royal flag. Not everyone was happy with the change. Some people wanted the king back. But the republic survived. Today, Portugal is still a republic. Its people vote for their president and their parliament.