Lusitania

Lusitania (/ˌluː.sɪ.ˈteɪ.ni.ə/; Classical Latin: [luːsiːˈtaːnia]) was an ancient Roman province encompassing most of modern-day Portugal (south of the Douro River) and a large portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and Province of Salamanca). Romans named the region after the Lusitanians, an Indo-European tribe inhabiting the lands.

The capital Emerita Augusta was initially part of the Roman Republic province of Hispania Ulterior before becoming a province of its own during the Roman Empire.

After Romans arrived in the territory during the 2nd century BC, a war with Lusitanian tribes ensued between 155 and 139 BC, with the Roman province eventually established in 27 BC.

In modern parlance, Lusitania is often synonymous with Portugal, despite the Roman province's capital being located in modern Mérida, Spain.