About Portugal Portugal

• History

  Portugal’s history is one of sailors and tides. With a seacoast extending along nearly half of its borders, it’s only natural that this Western strip of Iberia has been visited by so many peoples – Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Franks, Nordic, Arabs and Mauritanians – who, throughout the centuries settled here, contributing with their heritage to the identity, the culture and the people which the Portuguese are nowadays.

  Portugal is one of Europe’s oldest countries, independent since the 12th century when King Afonso Henriques declared his county and independent kingdom. One century later, after the conquest of Algarve in the southern region of the territory, Portugal’s continental border was defined, remaining nearly unchanged since then.

  By the end of the 13th century the country suffers a demographic, economic and scientific boom, well reflected by the creation of one of Europe’s oldest Universities, by king Dinis. This evolution would later lead to Portugal’s great sea adventure of the Discoveries. This time the tide reverted and Portuguese seamen were the first Europeans to reach the African shores, Far East and South America, during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Azores and Madeira islands in the Atlantic were discovered during this period and remain Portuguese territories to this day.

  After a dynastic crisis by the end of the 16th century, which left Portugal under Spanish rule for about 60 years, the country recovered its independence in 1640. The following two centuries were afflicted times for the country, featuring internal unsettling, a civil war in the beginning of the 19th century and the decay of monarchy which lead to a regicide and the implantation of the Republic in 1910.

  Republic’s initial years did not bring stability and progress as desired by the people and in 1926 a totalitarian regime was implanted which would last until 1974 when a revolution by the military and the subsequent creation of a democratic regime would bring Portugal into the of circle of western democratic countries. This process would lead to Portugal joining the European Union in 1986.

  Nowadays, Portugal is a democratic state governed by the rule of law, member of the European Union and NATO, with economic, scientific and technological growth levels in the recent decades, which brought the country closer to its European partners.

• Geography

  Portugal’s continental territory occupies the Western strip of Iberia, in the Southwest of Europe, with a total area of 88,889 km2, 218 km wide and 961 km long.

  Portugal’s border with Spain extends along 1,215 km while its 832 km of Atlantic coast define the country’s sea border.

  The country’s capital is Lisbon, besides the river Tagus’ estuary, in the central region of the territory.

  The Azores islands lay in the Atlantic, between Europe and North America. With a total area of 2,355 km2, this archipelago consists of nine islands: São Miguel, Santa Maria, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, Faial, Flores and Corvo.

  The other Atlantic territory is Madeira, with an area of 741 km2 about 500 kms off the African coast and 1000 kms off the European continent.
  This archipelago includes the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, as well as the Desertas and Selvagens islands (both unhabited and Natural Reserves).

• Weather

  Portugal has a mild climate without extremes of temperature. Winters are never too cold and summers are always moderately hot.
  The North has an Atlantic climate influenced by the Gulf Stream. The Centre has gentle dry summers and short mild winters. The South has a warm, dry Mediterranean climate without extremes of heat. Madeira offers a pleasant climate all year round. The Azores also offers mild weather tempered by the Atlantic.
   
  In Lisbon, annual average temperature is around 17ºC. Last year the highest recorded temperature reached 32.2ºC while minimum was -2.6ºC.

• Population

  Portugal has around 10 million inhabitants.

  The largest demographic density concentrates in the coastal regions. Heaviest density is Greater Lisbon with around 3 million people 600,000 of which living in the city.

  Second largest city is Oporto, also by the Atlantic coast in the North of the country.

• Language

  Portuguese is a Latin language being the mother language of 200 million people, which makes it the third most spoken in the world.

  Besides Portugal in Europe, Portuguese is spoken in three other continents, being the official language of Brazil in South America, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Principe in Africa and East Timor in Asia.

• Religion

  The vast majority of the population, around 97%, is catholic.

  The Portuguese Constitution grants full religious freedom and several other churches and cults are present in Portugal, such as the Christian protestant and orthodox churches and the Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist communities, among several others.