The aim of this paper will be to apply the concepts of Intellectual Capital (IC) and Knowledge Management (KM) to the historic evolution and to the present situation of the Portuguese economy. The conclusion that will be drawn is the following: IC and KM theories and concepts explain particularly well the Portuguese history and its present situation. The paper begins with the presentation of the most important theoretical ideas on the relation between IC, KM and economic development (section 1), followed by a discussion on the importance of IC and KM in Portugal (section 2). The last section presents the main conclusions of the study.