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Portugal
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Where is portugal?ClimateLanguagesHistoryArchitecture CuisineSights SportThe End
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Portugal is a country located 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 Azores and Madeira are part of Portugal.Back to summary
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ClimatePortugal is defined as a Mediterranean climate ,and is one of the warmest European countries: the annual average temperature in mainland Portugal varies from 13C (in the mountainous interior north) to over 18C (in the south and on the Guadian River basin). The Algarve, separated from the Alentejo region by mountains reaching up to 900 meters in altitude (in Pico da Foia), has a climate similar to that of the southern coastal areas of Spain
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LanguagesMain articles: Languages of Portugal, Portuguese language, Mirandese language, and Portuguese-based creole languagesMap of the Lusosphere.Portuguese is the official language of Portugal. Portuguese is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain) and Northern Portugal, from the Galician-Portuguese language. It is derived from the Latin spoken by the romanized Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula around 2000 years ago. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it spread worldwid as Portugal established a colonial and commercial empire (14151999).As a result, nowadays the Portuguese language is also official and spoken in Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, So Tom and Prncipe, Guinea-Bissau, and East Timor. These countries, plus Macau Special Administrative Region (People's Republic of China), make up the Lusosphere, term derived from the ancient Roman province of Lusitania, which currently matches the Portuguese territory south of the Douro river. Mirandese is also recognized as a co-official regional language in some municipalities of northeastern Portugal. It retains fewer than 5,000 speakers in Portugal (a number that can be up to 12,000 if counting second language speakers).Back to summary
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History Portugal, throughout its history, has had difficult relations with its powerful peninsular neighbour (Castela/Espanha), struggling with the expansion of the Meseta (old part of the Iberian Peninsula, divided in two by the Luso-Castelhano System) and sending its men to the sea to safeguard its freedom and independence. Existing as an independent state since the 12th century, the territory that actually forms Portugal, already had in 10th and 11th centuries, in between-the-Douro-and-Minho regions, the sketch of a political, social and economist organization, separate from the Kingdom of Lion. The Atlantic has given Portuguese the knowledge and spirit that distinguish maritime populations, allowing them to prepare much earlier for European maritime expansion. The presence of strong jewish and arab communities also guaranteed the necessary scientific teachings to the discoveries movement, that would begin in the 15th century under the management of the Royal house. In 1415, the Portuguese went to the sea on an epic trip, which would turn them into the first nation discovering the maritime routes to India, Brazil, China and Japan. On their many adventures, exchanges have been done and these 'exchanges' have made Portugal a very rich country, not only in spices brought from India, but also in gold and jewels found in Brazil. The end of the 18th century attended the attempt of introduction of the "clarified despotism" by the Marquis of Pombal, who would leave his mark in the reconstruction of the capital Lisbon (in 1755), destroyed by a violent earthquake that caused much commotion in all of Europe. Portugal is one of the oldest countries of the world, born in 1143 and whose continental borders had been established in 1297.
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Architecture of Portugal refers to the architecture practised in the territory of present-day Portugal since before the foundation of the country in the 12th century. The term may also refer to buildings created under Portuguese influence or by Portuguese architects in other parts of the world, particularly in the Portuguese Empire.Portuguese architecture, like all aspects of Portuguese culture, is marked by the history of the country and the several peoples that have settled and influenced the current Portuguese territory. These include Romans, Germanic peoples and Arabs, as well as the influence from the main European artistic centres from which were introduced to the broad architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassicism. Among the main local manifestations of Portuguese architecture are the Manueline, the exuberant Portuguese version of late Gothic; and the Pombaline style, a mix of late Baroque and Neoclassicism that developed after the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.Back to summary
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Portuguese cuisine is diverse. The Portuguese consume a lot of dry cod (bacalhau in Portuguese), for which there are hundreds of recipes. There are more than enough bacalhau dishes for each day of the year. Two other popular fish recipes are grilled sardines and caldeirada, a potato-based stew that can be made from several types of fish. Typical Portuguese meat recipes, that may be made out of beef, pork, lamb, or chicken, include cozido portuguesa, feijoada, frango de churrasco, leito (roast suckling pig) and carne de porco alentejana.Typical fast food dishes include the francesinha from Porto, and bifanas (grilled pork) or prego (grilled beef) sandwiches, which are well known around the country. The Portuguese art of pastry has its origins in Middle-Ages Catholic monasteries widely spread across the country. These monasteries, using very few ingredients (mostly almonds, flour, eggs and some liquor), managed to create a spectacular wide range of different pastries, of which pastis de Belm (or pastis de nata) originally from Lisbon, and ovos moles from Aveiro are examples. Portuguese cuisine is very diverse, with different regions having their own traditional dishes. The Portuguese have a culture of good food and throughout the country there are myriad good restaurants and small typical tascas.Portuguese wines have deserved international recognition since the times of the Roman Empire, which associated Portugal with their god Bacchus. Today the country is known by wine lovers and its wines have won several international prizes. Some of the best Portuguese wines are: Vinho Verde, Vinho Alvarinho, Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Do, Vinho da Bairrada and the sweet: Port Wine, Madeira Wine and the Moscatel from Setbal and Favaios. Port Wine is well known around the world and the most widely known wine type in the world. The Douro wine region is the oldest in the world.
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Sights Back to summary
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Football (soccer) is the most popular and played sport. There are several football competitions ranging from local amateur to world-class professional level. The legendary Eusbio is still a major symbol of Portuguese football history. FIFA World Player of the Year winners Lus Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, are among the numerous examples of other world-class football (soccer) players born in Portugal and noted worldwide. Portuguese football managers are also noteworthy, with Jos Mourinho, Carlos Queiroz and Manuel Jos among the most renowned.The Portuguese national teams, have titles in the FIFA World Youth Championship and in the UEFA youth championships. The main national team Seleco Nacional finished second in Euro 2004 (held in Portugal), reached the third place in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, and reached the fourth place in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, their best results in major competitions to date.Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Futebol Clube do Porto, and Sporting Clube de Portugal are the largest sports clubs by popularity and in terms of trophies won, often known as "os trs grandes" ("the big three"). They have 12 titles won in the European UEFA club competitions, were present in many finals and have been regular contenders in the last stages almost every season. Other than football, many Portuguese sports clubs, including the "big three", compete in several other sports events with a varying level of success and popularity, these may include basketball, futsal, handball, and volleyball.
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