PortugalBy Keith Lordan

Map of Europe Showing Portugal

Portugal

Map of Portugal

Portugal National Anthem

Name: A Portuguesa (Song of the Portuguese)

Two vertical bands of and red with the national coat of arms centred on the dividing line; explanations for the colour meanings are ambiguous, but a popular interpretation has green symbolizing hope and red the blood of those defending the nation

Flag of Portugal

National Symbol

Armillary sphere (a spherical astrolabe modelling objects in the sky)

Overall: 10781459 Capital City: Lisbon, 2.821m Population of Other Main Cities: Oporto,

1.672m Currency: Euro No. Of Mobile Phones: 15.195m

Map of Lisbon, street view:

Population of Portugal

The population of Portugal is made up of homogeneous Mediterranean stock on the mainland, Azores, and Madeira Islands. Less than 100,000 citizens of black African descent, who immigrated in 1970s to Portugal from its former colonies in Africa; small number of Gypsies.

Main Religions: Roman Catholic 84.5% Other Christian 2.2% Other 0.3% Unknown 9% None 3.9%

Ethnicity (Race) of Portugal

Textiles + Footwear Wood Pulp Paper and Cork Metals Oil refining Chemicals Fish Canning Rubber + Plastic Products Ceramics Electronics and Communications equipment Rail Transportation Equipment

Main Industries Portugal

Grain Potatoes Tomatoes Olives Grapes Sheep Cattle Swine Poultry Dairy Products Fish

Main Agriculture Portugal

An early Celtic tribe, the Lusitanians, were the first inhabitants of Portugal. The Roman Empire conquered the region about 1408c.

Portugal won its independence from Moorish Spain in 1143.

In 1581, Philip II of Spain invaded Portugal and held it for 60 years.

Portugal was admitted to the European Economic Community on January 1st 1986.

Brief History Portugal

Portugal gave up its last colony, Macao, on December 20 1999.

June 2011 witnessed the victory of the Social Democrats Pedro Passos Coelho over the Socialist Party. His first order of business: the implementation of the €78bn bailout agreed on by the EU and the IMF.

Brief History Portugal

President: Anibal Cacac Silva (2006)

Prime Minister: Pedro Passos Coelho (2011)

Government: Parliamentary Democracy. Literacy Rate: 93% (2003 est.) International Disputes: Portugal has periodically

reasserted claims to territories around the town of Olivenza, Spain.

Civil Law System

Government

Fatima (Worlds 2nd Most Popular Catholic Pilgrim) Pastries/Baked Goods. Ceramics Port Wine

Famous For

Ferdinand Magellan Bartolomeu Diaz Vasco da Gama Cristiano Ronaldo Pedro I (founder of Brazilian empire)

Famous People

Portugal is the most South Westerly country in Europe.

Portugal has 21 rivers running through it. In 2006 Portugal opened the worlds largest

solar energy plant. The Vasco da Gama bridge is the longest

bridge in Europe. The Portuguese slave trade was outlawed in

1850, though Portugal was the 1st country in Europe to open a ‘Slave Market’ at Lagos in the Algarve.

Interesting Facts

Portugal was the first country in Europe to have its boundaries as they are today.

Portuguese empire was the first empire in the world's history and the longest.

The era of empires ended when Portugal handed over Macau to China in 1999.

Portuguese people ruled the seas for many, many centuries.

Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral were the pioneers that first crossed the South Atlantic Ocean by air, in 1922 from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Interesting Facts

According to the CIA Factbook, Portugal is the 111th largest country in the world, just behind Hungary, and just in front of Jordan. At 92,090 square kilometers, Portugal is slightly larger than the U.S. state of Maine, and a couple thousand square kilometres smaller than the state of Indiana.

Portugal is home to the first commercial wave farm, which creates and sells electricity. The farm was constructed in 2006.

Although bullfighting is still legal in the country of Portugal, Portuguese law states that killing the bull during the show is illegal

Interesting Facts

Even though Portugal is a relatively small nation, its borders hold one national park, twelve natural parks, nine natural reserves, and seven protected landscapes. Portugal is ranked among the warmest of the European countries with annual average temperatures ranging from the mid-50s (F) in the mountainous regions, up into the mid-60s (F) in the southern low lying areas. Because of the wide range of temperatures and the large number of protected areas, the native animal life is very abundant.

Wildlife

The large variety of Portuguese animals includes an abundant amount of small to medium sized mammals. One might expect to run into any number of species of badger, rabbits and hares, weasel, mongoose, or civet.

There is also rumoured to still be a small population of brown bear that crosses over from Spain from time to time.

In addition to the mammalian population, Portugal is also home to over six hundred species of birds with new species being discovered every few years. Many migratory birds also congregate in Portugal because of its close proximity to Africa.

Portugal is host to over one hundred species of freshwater fish, including the monstrous European catfish, and to thousands of marine species because of the fact that it borders the ocean.

Wildlife

There are 5 airports in Portugal. Portugal’s excellent geographical position makes it a stopover point for many foreign airlines at airports all over the country.

Comboios de Portugal, the Portuguese railway company, offers a vast rail network covering the whole of mainland Portugal and also offers international train services to Vigo, Madrid and Paris.

Portugal has a good road network composed of Motorways (AE), Main Trunk Routes (IP), Complementary Trunk Routes (IC), Main (National) Roads (EN) and Secondary (Municipal) Roads.

Transport in Portugal

The climate in Portugal varies considerably from one region to another and is influenced by the relief, latitude and proximity to the sea, which offers mild winters, especially in the Algarve.In the Porto e Norte area and Beiras region, particularly inland, nearer Spain, the winters are colder, although the temperatures are still mild when compared to the rest of Europe. There is some snowfall. It occurs most in the Serra da Estrela mountains, where we find the highest point in mainland Portugal (1,991 m) and where it is sometimes possible to ski.

The summers are hot and dry, especially in the inland areas (Trás-os-Montes in north-eastern Portugal and Alentejo). Temperatures are slightly lower in the coastal areas, because of the influence of the sea.

There are often warm, sunny days in autumn. Nice weather at the beginning of November is often called "St. Martin’s Summer" as this saint’s day is on 11 November.

Climate in Portugal