The territory of Portugal includes an area in the Iberian Peninsula (referred to as the continent by most Portuguese) and two archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean: the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores. Mainland Portugal is split by its main river, the Tagus which flows from Spain and disgorges in Tagus Estuary, in Lisbon, before escaping into the Atlantic. The northern landscape is mountainous towards the interior with several plateaus indented by river valleys, whereas the south, which includes the Algarve and the Alentejo regions, is characterized by rolling plains.
Portugal is a Republic in southwestern Europe adjacent to the Iberian Peninsula and bordered by Spain to the east and north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. Portugal holds sovereignty over the Madeira and Azores archipelagos and is named after Porto, the country's second-largest city. A member of the European Union and listed high on the HDI, or Human Development Index, Portugal is a peaceful, globalized nation that also belongs to the United Nations, the Latin Union, NATO, and the Organization of Ibero - American States.
Following the approval of its current constitution in 1976, Portugal has been operating as a democratic republic with Lisbon as its capital and largest city. The Assembly of the Republic, the President of the Republic, the Government and the Prime Minister are Portugal's four primary governmental institutions. Similar to the U.S. and Europe, Portugal has several political parties from which citizens choose candidates and elect. The two dominant parties are the Social Democratic Party and the Socialist Party, with the Ecologist Party and the Portuguese Communist Party regularly garnering about ten percent of the vote during each election.
Essential Facts about Portugal
- Portugal opened the largest solar energy factory in the world in 2006, in the city of Alentejo.
- Besides Portugal and Brazil, Portuguese is also spoken in Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde.
- Students choosing to earn a degree in Portugal will want to see the longest bridge existing in Europe--the Vasco de Gama Bridge--that spans nearly 11 miles, or 17.3 kilometers and crosses the Tagus River near Lisbon.
- Bullfighting remains legal in Portugal.
- Portugal is home to nearly 11 million people, with one-third of its population living in Lisbon and Porto.
- Coimbra, Portugal is home to one of Europe's oldest universities, the University of Coimbra, which was established in 1290 A.D.The Portuguese eat more fish than any other people in the world.
Portugal's Climate
Portugal offers Mediterranean, Steppe, and semi-arid climates and presents some of the warmest temperatures in Europe. Visitors to the Guadiana basin near Spain's border may swelter under summertime temperatures reaching as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). However, snow falls regularly between October and May in Portugal's northern and central regions, with winter temperatures averaging 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or -9 Celsius.
Portugal's Currency
Being a member of the European Union, Portugal's main currency is the euro and its Banco de Portugal represents a significant component of the ESCB ( European System of Central Banks ). The majority of Portugal's financial and business organizations are based in Porto and Lisbon's metropolitan areas.