Republic
capital: Lisbon
area: 92 000 km2
population: 10,6 millions
population density/km2: 115
EU member since 1986
national anthem: A Portughesa
national holiday: June 10
- Founded in 1143, Portugal is the European country with the oldest borders.
- In 1998, a world Exhibition took place in Lisbon on the theme "Oceans: a heritage for the future".
- The Portuguese national holiday, which takes place on 10 June, commemorates the death of the famous poet Luis de Camoes, who wrote Os Lusiasdas, an epic poem on the voyage of Vasco de Gama to India.
- Portugal is the country with the highest average temperature in Europe (16C) and the highest number of hours of sunshine per annum.
- Henry the Navigator set up an efficient sailing school which made possible the great discoveries of Diego Cao, Bartholomew Diaz, Vasco da Gama, Magellan, etc.
- The Portuguese, a romance language of Latin origin, is one of the five most widely spoken languages in the world.
To see
Portugal has a charm that comes to life when you start driving along the picturesque coastline of the Algarve via the surf town of Lagos and on to the dramatic cliffs known as the end of the world. Club-hop your way around the country by checking out Lisbon to Porto to Braga and Coimbra. Roman, Moorish and Renaissance ruins are scattered across this beautiful country with its stunning hillsides, lakes and pine forests.
