Caixa Geral de Depósitos - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) (ˈkajʃɐ ʒɨˈɾaɫ dɨ dɨˈpɔzituʃ) is a Portuguese

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

state-owned banking corporation

Corporation

A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...

and the largest bank in Portugal.

History

1876 — Caixa Geral de Depósitos was founded under the aegis of the Junta de Crédito Público.
1880 — Caixa Económica Portuguesa was founded as a savings bank for Portugal's poorer classes.
1885 — The two Caixas merged.
1896 — CGD was spun off from the Junta de Crédito Público. This was followed by the creation of Caixa de Aposentações for wage earners and Monte de Piedade Nacional, a pawnbroking operation.
1918 — CGD developed general banking operations.
1924 — CGD acquired Banco Financial Português in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

.
1969 — CGD, a public service subject to the state's administrative rules, became a state-owned company.
1974 – CGD acquired a 5% stake in Banco Itaú
Banco Itaú
Itaú Unibanco is a publicly quoted bank with headquarters in São Paulo, Brazil. The bank is the result of the merger of Banco Itaú and Unibanco, which occurred on November 4, 2008 to form Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A, the largest financial conglomerate in the Southern Hemisphere and is the 10th...

when Itaú acquired Banco Português do Brasil, founded in 1918.
1975 — CGD established a branch in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

.
1988 — CGD acquired Banco Nacional Ultramarino
Banco Nacional Ultramarino
Banco Nacional Ultramarino was a Portuguese bank with operations throughout the world, especially in Portugal's former overseas provinces. It ceased existence as an independent legal entity in Portugal following its merger with Caixa Geral de Depósitos, the government-owned savings bank, in...

. With it, CGD got Ultramarino's ownership in several operations abroad, including Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe
Banco Internacional de Sao Tome e Principe
Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe is the largest and oldest commercial bank in São Tomé and Príncipe. It consists of a head office and three branches.- History :...

.
1991 — CGD acquired Banco de Extremadura in Spain and Chase Manhattan Bank
Chase Manhattan Bank
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase, is a national bank that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of financial services firm JPMorgan Chase. The bank was known as Chase Manhattan Bank until it merged with J.P. Morgan & Co. in 2000...

España. Banco de Extramadura traces its origins back to 1939. In 1965, the name became Sánchez de Cáceres and in 1972 transformed into Banco de Extremadura. After CGD acquired it, Chase Manhattan Bank España became Banco Luso-Español.
1993 — CGD became an exclusively state-owned public company
1995 — CGD's acquired Banco Simeón, in Spain, from Banesto
Banesto
Banesto is a Spanish bank, 88.4% owned by Banco Santander. Currently Banesto is the fifth-largest banking group in Spain, operating around 1,770 branches....

. Banco Simeón had been founded in 1857 in Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...

, Spain.
1997 — CGD established Banco Comercial e de Investimentos in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

.
1998 — CGD acquired Banco Bandeirantes in Brazil, to which it transferred some accounts from Banco Financial Português. It also established a branch in Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...

, which in 1999 it converted to a subsidiary, Banco Interatlântico, of which it now owns 70%.
2000 — CGD acquired Banco Comercial do Atlântico
Banco Comercial do Atlântico
The Banco Comercial do Atlântico is a Cape Verdean bank. The headquarters of the company is located Praia, the largest city, on Santiago Island in Cape Verde. The bank has 23 branches and sub-branches spread over all 9 inhabited Cape Verdean islands...

, making the CGD Group the most important financial institution in Cape Verde. CGD also acquired the Mundial Confiança insurance company and Banco Totta & Comercial Sotto Mayor de Investimento, which it later renamed Caixa-Banco de Investimento. CGD acquired majority control of Banco Internacional de Sao Tome e Principe
Banco Internacional de Sao Tome e Principe
Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe is the largest and oldest commercial bank in São Tomé and Príncipe. It consists of a head office and three branches.- History :...

. CGD sold Banco Bandeirantes to Brazil's Unibanco
Unibanco
Unibanco stands for União de Bancos Brasileiros . The bank was born in 1924 in Poços de Caldas in the state of Minas Gerais. In time its headquarters moved to São Paulo, Brazil's financial center...

in return for a 12% share in Unibanco. At the time, CGD held a 4.6% stake in Banco Itaú
Banco Itaú
Itaú Unibanco is a publicly quoted bank with headquarters in São Paulo, Brazil. The bank is the result of the merger of Banco Itaú and Unibanco, which occurred on November 4, 2008 to form Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A, the largest financial conglomerate in the Southern Hemisphere and is the 10th...

, which it was forced to give up under conflict of interest rules.
2001 — CGD opened a branch in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....

, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

. CGD also merged in Banco Nacional Ultramarino
Banco Nacional Ultramarino
Banco Nacional Ultramarino was a Portuguese bank with operations throughout the world, especially in Portugal's former overseas provinces. It ceased existence as an independent legal entity in Portugal following its merger with Caixa Geral de Depósitos, the government-owned savings bank, in...

, effectively ending its separate existence, though the name survives in CGD's subsidiary in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

. Lastly, CGD merged Banco Franco Portugũes into its Paris branch.
2002 — CGD combined its three commercial banks in Spain: Banco Luso-Español, Banco de Extremadura, and Banco Simeón, into one bank under the Banco Simeón name.
2004 — CGD took a controlling interest in Mercantile Lisbon Bank Holding of South Africa.
2005 — The alliance between CGD and Unibanco dissolved, with CGD selling its shares.
2006 — Banco Simeón changed its name to Banco Caixa Geral
Banco Caixa Geral
Banco Caixa Geral has its headquarters in Vigo, Spain, and is a subsidiary of Portugal's largest bank, the government-owned Caixa Geral de Depositos.-History:...

.
2008 — On 28 February, the Central Bank of Brazil
Central Bank of Brazil
The Central Bank of Brazil is Brazil's monetary authority. It was established on December 31, 1964.The Central Bank is linked with the Ministry of Finance. Like other central banks, the Brazilian central bank is the principal monetary authority of the country...

authorized CGD to set up Banco Caixa Geral-Brasil in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

.

International operations

Caixa operates internationally through a variety of branches, affiliates, and subsidiaries

Africa

Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...

— Subsidiaries: Banco Comercial do Atlântico
Banco Comercial do Atlântico
The Banco Comercial do Atlântico is a Cape Verdean bank. The headquarters of the company is located Praia, the largest city, on Santiago Island in Cape Verde. The bank has 23 branches and sub-branches spread over all 9 inhabited Cape Verdean islands...

and Banco Interatlântico
Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

— BCI Fomento and BNI Banco Nacional de Investimento
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...

— Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe
Banco Internacional de Sao Tome e Principe
Banco Internacional de São Tomé e Príncipe is the largest and oldest commercial bank in São Tomé and Príncipe. It consists of a head office and three branches.- History :...

(BISTP)
South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

— Mercantile Bank

Europe

Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

, Beligum — Representative office
Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

— Branch
Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

— Representative office
Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

— CGD has a subsidiary, Banco Caixa Geral, headquartered in Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...

, and a branch of the parent in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

.

Americas

Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

— Banco Caixa Geral Brasil
- São Paulo
  São Paulo
  São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
  
  — Representative office
Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...

— Branch
Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

— Representative office
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

— Branch in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

Asia

{PR China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

— Branch in Zhuhai
Zhuhai
Zhuhai is a prefecture-level city on the southern coast of Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in the Pearl River Delta, Zhuhai borders Jiangmen to the northwest, Zhongshan to the north, and Macau to the south. Zhuhai was one of the original Special Economic Zones...

(Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

)
Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...

— Banco Nacional Ultramarino
Banco Nacional Ultramarino
Banco Nacional Ultramarino was a Portuguese bank with operations throughout the world, especially in Portugal's former overseas provinces. It ceased existence as an independent legal entity in Portugal following its merger with Caixa Geral de Depósitos, the government-owned savings bank, in...

and an offshore subsidiary
East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

— Ten branches in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....

and the other districts of East Timor
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

— Representative offices in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

and Pangim (Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

)