About Portugal Project done by: Rafael Sousa, 11TGSI-2 Tiago Costa, 11TGSI-2 Revised by: Cristina Pureza, English Teacher.

About Portugal

Project done by:Rafael Sousa, 11TGSI-2Tiago Costa, 11TGSI-2

Revised by:Cristina Pureza, English Teacher

Culture and Traditions

Location

Portugal is located at the south west

point of Europe and it includes the Madeira and

Azores archipelagos in the

Atlantic Ocean.

Language

Portuguese is the native tongue of about 200 million

people. The Portuguese speaking countries are scattered all over the world. Portuguese is

spoken in Africa, in South America and Asia.

History and Monuments

Portugal has been independent since

1143 and its borders have

remained unchanged for

centuries. But it’s the sea that has

played a large part in its history.

Situated in the far west corner of Europe and with a long coastline,

Portugal has always felt an urge to venture

across the seas.We were the first Europeans to

arrive in India, Brazil and Japan.

Portugal’s relationship with the sea is recorded in the

Manueline style of some of Portugal’s

most distinctive monuments. The monasteries of

Batalha, Tomar, Jerónimos and Torre de Belém are some

examples.

Batalha’s Monastery

The maritime Voyages of

Discovery turned Lisbon into one of the world’s

great ports and the centre of an

empire that stretched from

Brazil in the West to India in

the East.

Manueline details.

That relationship still continues today and

the Parque das Nações, the site of

the last World Exhibition of the 20th century, is dedicated to that very theme. There are some fine

examples of contemporary

Portuguese architecture to be

found here.

Another distinctive feature of our

architecture is the famous decorative tile known as the

azulejo, which can be seen covering walls all over the

country. If you travel on the underground

in Lisbon, take a good look around you to

see how some of our finest contemporary artists have used the tile to decorate the

stations.

Fado

But the sea has also left its mark on our national psyche. We sometimes allow ourselves to be

overcome by a sense of melancholy that we can’t

explain. This is the nostalgic sadness that we

call saudade and is a distinctive feature of the

Portuguese. We sing about it in a Fado, just

as we sing about joy when we’re feeling

happy.

The music’s fame was gradually built up in the Fado houses, restaurants where

you can listen to Fado while you have a traditional meal.

Amália was the most charismatic of these early Fado singers

and the first to take the music overseas.Amália left us with

the classical image of the traditional Fado

singer in a black dress and shawl.

Contemporary Fado singers such as

Mariza are getting widely known.

Lisbon’s Old Quarters

Alfama is one of the oldest quarters in

Lisbon. It has maintained its Arab structure,

with its labyrinthine

streets, courtyards and

lanes.

The Sé (Cathedral) is

wonderful, and the Feira

da Ladra (flea market)

also takes place here.

Next to Alfama are the quarters of Castelo and of

Mouraria. Throughout the month of June,

during the Santos Populares (Saints’ days) celebrations, these quarters are packed with music, dancing and food.

Bairro Alto dates back to the 16th

century but is today one of the city’s most animated quarters, with trendy bars,

restaurants and shops.

Chiado is one of the city’s most

attractive quarters. It has long been a cultural hot spot,

easily illustrated by its theatres,

literary cafés (like A Brasileira) and

antique bookstores.

The Baixa (downtown), rebuilt by the Marquis of Pombal following

the 1755 earthquake, is a commercial and financial district

characterised by the geometrical layout of its streets. It is in the

busy Baixa that we can find the typical hustle and bustle of city life

and Lisbon’s oldest and most traditional shops

and cafés.

There is another side to these old parts of town: trendy and versatile shops where you can buy vintage and new designers’ clothes and

accessories, vinyl records, designer objects, browse the net, have an

herbal tea and have your hair cut by stylists, all in the same place. Tattoos

and piercing shops also coexist in these flourishing cool places.

Popular Festivities

In June we celebrate Saints’ days in Portugal.

Saints’ days are full of fun.The streets are

decorated with balloons and arches made out of brightly-coloured paper;

people dance in the city’s small squares, and altars,

dedicated to the saints, are put up as a way of asking

for good fortune.

Lisbon celebrates the day of St. Anthony the

matchmaker from 12th to 13th June. "Santo António,

Santo Antoninho, Arranja-me lá um maridinho..." (St. Anthony, my dear St. Anthony. Find me a

husband...) is one of the oldest and most popular

chants in the city.

In Avenida da Liberdade, there are the Marchas, a parade of the inhabitants from the city’s different

traditional quarters. There are hundreds of singers and dancers and a vast audience

applauds their favourite participants.

Meanwhile if you are attracted to

someone, declare yourself to them in

the heat of the festivities and offer them a manjerico (a flower-pot with a basil plant) and a

love poem.

St. John is celebrated in Porto, from 23rd to 24th June. It is a festival that is lived to the full in the streets, where anything

is permitted. People carry a leek with them, which they use to hit

their neighbours over the head, all in a healthy

spirit of fun. There is also dancing, while the

highlight of the night is the firework display over

the River Douro.

And when you’ve worked up an appetite

choose something to eat from the traditional

menu for these festivities: Caldo Verde, Sardinha

Assada, bread and red wine or Sangria.

Delicious!

GastronomyWith a vast coastline, seafood plays a major part

in Portuguese cuisine and the quality of our seafood and freshly caught grilled fish is

beyond compare. Our traditional cuisine includes the famous bacalhau, dried and salted cod (it is said that we can cook it in 365 different ways, as

many as the days of the year). Our desserts, made according to the ancient recipes of monks and nuns are delicious. In Lisbon there’s an old café known for the Pasteis de Belém delicious

pastries filled with custard and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Having only one is never

enough. For those who have a sweet tooth this is a delicacy not to be missed.

Our wines are of exceptional quality too. Our Port and Madeira wines are appreciated worldwide.

Places of Interest

North of Portugal

It was in the north that Portugal came into being as a country,

which is why the region has such a rich

and fascinating heritage.

Trás-os-Montes region is located in the

far east part of Portugal and it’s full of

hidden natural and historic treasures.

Miranda do Douro is a land packed with

individuality.

The Celtic bagpipes, the “Pauliteiro” stick dancers and

"Mirandês”, a dialect unique to this region of Portugal, are all

part of very old traditions

Guimarães is a very special town.

UNESCO declared it World Heritage.

It was in its medieval castle

that Afonso Henriques, would become the first

king of Portugal in 1143.

Minho is famous for Parque

Natural Peneda Gerês.

Unfortunately, a big part of our

forest is devastated every summer by fires.

Another World Heritage site, PORTO is an historic city with

rare architectural value. The medieval

town tumbles down to the river Douro, with

narrow, twisting streets leading into

Renaissance squares, and Baroque monuments.

BEIRASBuilt from granite and schist, our villages have witnessed

over 900 years of Portuguese history. In the past these

villages, played a crucial role in protecting the surrounding

lands. One such example is the village of Almeida, whose

formidable fortress capitulated to the French in the 19th century after heroically resisting for 17 days.

Piodão is beautiful with its amphitheatre-like layout.

Belmonte was the birthplace of the navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral, who discovered Brazil in

1500.A significant Jewish

community settled in Belmonte, mainly in the

fifteenth century, when Jews fleeing persecution in

Castile took refuge here. Symbols of their

professions, such as the tailor’s scissors, can still be

seen engraved on the doorposts.

BuçacoBuçaco Forest is a magical

place - a 16th century monastic retreat isolated from the rest of the world.The Serra do Buçaco is a

botanical garden, containing around 700

native and exotic species of plants. It is protected by

a 17th century papal decree that threatens to ex-communicate anyone

who damages it.

Centre of Portugal

CoimbraWith its university students, black

capes, its loves stories and its fado, Coimbra is also a modern, cosmopolitan place. There are many good restaurants

offering mouth-watering regional delicacies, in addition to bars and cafés

with large esplanades, bookstores, galleries and nightclubs.

ÓbidosThis medieval walled town

is stunning, full of well-preserved white houses with Manueline pórticos and flower-laden window

boxes; sinuous streets with romantic recesses; arcades; small squares

and churches.Numerous bars offer you a

taste of ginjinha, a traditional liqueur.

Sintra which is in the Lisbon region,

is definitely a romantic must-see,

not only for its historical buildings

but also for its exuberant nature.

South of Portugal

Golden plains that disappear out of sight combine with the sun

and the heat to impose their own

slow, steady rhythm. This is the Alentejo.

If you like your beaches, the Algarve is a great choice. With about 30

high-class courses, the

Algarve is visited by golfers from

all over the world.

Azores

A place of natural surroundings that

have remained unspoilt.

Azores’ archipelago comprises 9

islands.

Whales and dolphins off the coast of Faial

St. Jorge cheese. Very spicy!

Peter’s Café Sport is quite simply the most

famous bar in the North Atlantic, having first opened its doors on the island of Faial over eighty years ago to seafarers from all

over the world.

Madeira

Madeira’s archipelago is

another important touristic

destination.

In Madeira, springtime is

honoured with the Flower

Festival, held every year after

Easter.

The Carnival festival in Madeira

is one of the region’s liveliest

festivals.

New year’s Eve in Madeira is very

famous.

Portuguese Lifestyle

NightlifeIn Portugal, we love to live, play and party in the outdoors. Portuguese nightlife starts late at around 11.00 p.m. and it may not finish

until late the next morning.

Bairro Alto

The best nights out in Lisbon start in the Bairro Alto. Just as soon as the sun sets, these narrow streets begin filling with

entertainment seekers.

Often, and particularly on friday and saturday nights, the young clientele gather

by the doors of bars, spilling out into the streets, listening to music, talking and

laughing. 

DocasWhere there were once

warehouses, now there are some of the best bars and restaurants in Lisbon. And certainly among

the most popular.

Parque das NaçõesDiscover the new side to Lisbon

nightlife that emerged in the East.

Parque das Nações which was the 1998 World Exposition now includes entire rows of bars and

discos well worth a visit.

MealsAs a rule the Portuguese have three meals a day. Between 7.30 and 10 am

they have a light breakfast consisting of a drink- white

or black coffee or fruit juice- and toast or a

sandwich often in their local café.

The main meals are lunch, between 12.00 and 2.30

pm which is often eaten at a restaurant near work,

and dinner between 7.30 and 10.30 pm.

Most people eat a full meal including soup, a main dish and dessert or fruit. They may also have a snack

consisting of a drink and a cake between these two

meals, around 5.pmEating out is common

practice in Portugal. Having lunch or dinner out,

especially at the weekend is always a good excuse for

meeting friends or going for a drive

Likes and Dislikes

It’s this preference for the outdoor life that makes us so fond of sporting

activities: surfing, windsurfing,

bodyboarding are among our

favourite water sports.

We are passionate about football. The euro 2004, held in Portugal, was really important to us. It made us

really proud of our country.

We also love driving. Most people take their cars to work creating major traffic jams in the rush hours. We are dangerous

drivers.Portugal has a very high

percentage of car accidents.

The coastline has many beautiful sandy beaches and we use them a lot. Sitting in a esplanada

enjoying petiscos (snacks such as

chouriço, snails, tremoços, clams and

a cold beer).

Portugal is one of the countries with

the highest number of mobile phone users. There are

more phones than people in Portugal.

We tend to postpone things

we have to do.

Complaining about everything: work, the public transport system, waiting.

We’re never happy.We don’t usually meet our deadlines/timetables.We are big spenders

(more than we can afford sometimes). We love

shopping.We are quite loud and

engage lively in discussions and arguments.

We are quite hospitable and helpful towards tourists. We are always willing to try

communicating in their native tongue too.

The End