Portugal was the first European nation to join transatlantic slave trade.
Portugal, a colonial power with great importance, was an important player in the global slave trade. It enslaved people all over the world, from West Africa to North America. It was also the first colonial nation to abolish slavery 50 years before Britain, Spain and France.
Lisbon is one of the oldest European cities, older than Rome.
Lisbon, Portugal is a city that has been around since 1147. Its history goes back several thousand years. Excavations that date back to 1200BC reveal that the Phoenicians built settlements in Lisbon. This indicates that Lisbon has been continuously inhabited since over 3,000 years ago.
Portugal is Europe’s most westerly point.
Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of continental Europe’s continent. It can be found in Sintra. Portugal, which is continental Europe’s island country, is still the westernmost country. It is also the Eurasian Plate’s westernmost point. Capelinhos, a volcano located in the Azores is the westernmost point on the Eurasian Plate. Portugal is the European Union’s westernmost point. However, it isn’t the most westerly. France is the proud owner of this honour, along with Saint-Martin in The Caribbean.
Portugal holds the record for the longest-reigning monarch in the world
Following the assassination of his father Carlos I, on February 1, 1908, Crown Prince Luis Filipe was made King of Portugal for twenty minutes. Luis Filipe, also wounded in the attack, later died. Manuel II was given the title of King. He is Portugal’s last King.
Portugal is Europe’s oldest country-state.
Portugal was made a kingdom in 1139. Portugal’s borders had not changed much since 1297 when the Portuguese and Spanish agreed to transfer the Algarve from Spain over to Portugal. Afonso I, the first king, was elected in 1143. Portugal was a kingdom for 800 years until it became a republic in 1910.
Portugal’s official title, the Republica Portuguesa, refers to Portugal’s second-largest Port.
Portugal is today made up of the Azores and Portugal’s mainland. Nearly 1,300 kilometres west of the Atlantic Ocean’s mainland, nine Azores islands can be found. Madeira Archipelago comprises Madeira, Porto Santo and two uninhabited islands. It is approximately 500km from Morocco’s west coast.
The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, the oldest diplomatic alliance in all of the world, is known as “The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance.”
The Anglo-Portuguese Treaty, which was signed in 1373, was created. This was the first bilateral agreement between these countries. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, despite a 60-year break during Portugal’s political union, is still in force today.
In nine other countries, Portuguese is the official language.
Portugal’s imperial ambitions made Portuguese the official language of Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau. Mozambique. Sao Tome. Principe in India. Approximately 220 million people speak it.
Around 81% of Portugal’s population are Roman Catholics.
Portugal was an Empire territory at the time Christianity arrived in Portugal. The church and state have been distinct since the First Republic (1920-1926). Catholicism is the foundation of Catholic moral and legal codes. Many traditional festivals and fairs are also religiously-based. According to the 2011 census, 81% of Portuguese residents were Catholic.
Monks and nuns created Portugal’s best-loved traditional recipes.
You can have a Portuguese nun’s belly (barrages, e freira), Angel’s double chin (Coutinho do), and fat from heaven (Coutinho do); these pastries taste delicious. Monks, nuns and monasteries in Portugal used egg whites to preserve wine, starch, and other ingredients. From the egg yolks left behind, they made delicious pastries or cakes.
Lisbon’s Livraria Bertrand bookstore is the oldest in all of Europe.
Livraria Bertrand was a small bookstore that was established in 1732. The original store was one of many that fell to the Great Lisbon earthquake of 1755. The earthquake that struck at 8.5 Richter’s scale killed approximately 60,000 people. Livraria Bertrand, a Rua Garrett woman, opened a shop there in 1773. It’s still there. Livraria Bertrand currently has approximately 50 branches in Portugal.
The Portuguese are fatalists.
Portugal is well-known for its tradition of fado. It is the belief that one cannot escape their fate. This traditional Portuguese form of singing is also UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage. Fado, a sad song about love, loss and hope, is accompanied by soulful mandolins and guitars. These songs can be heard at bars, restaurants, and cafes. Fado can also be used in everyday speech. Oxalate is often used in daily speech. It is derived from Arabic inshallah, which means “god willing” and “if only.”
Japanese Tempura was a Portuguese invention.
Tempera is a favourite Japanese dish. This dish, which consists of battered vegetables and deep-fried seafood, was created in Nagasaki by Portuguese missionaries and traders. The tempura was introduced to Japan in the 16th century.
Portugal Economy Facts
Portugal was one of the first countries to adopt the euro. However, you can still exchange Portuguese banknotes for euros.
Portugal officially abandoned its Portuguese Portuguese escudo currency and adopted the euro in 1999. The Banco de Portugal introduced the euro in 2002. However, the central bank will continue issuing escudo banknotes up to 28 February 2022.
Portugal’s most famous export is port wine.
Vinho do Porto is a fortified wine which adds grape spirit, brandy or other spirits to the wine before fermentation. Before fermentation, port wine is sweetened by grape spirit or brandy. It can contain up to 20% alcohol. After being aged for between two and six years in oak barrels, the wine is bottled. Port wine grapes cannot be grown in the Douro valley. Douro Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world.
Portugal is home to more than half of the world’s cork
Portugal is home to the largest number of montados or cork oak forests. This cork oak (Quercus suber L) is protected by Portuguese law. The cork from the cork oak tree is removed every nine years without causing any harm.
Portugal is a leader when it comes to renewable energy.
In July 2014, 70% of the country’s energy came from renewable sources. In recent years, Portugal has proven that renewable energy can supply all of its domestic electricity requirements. One of the most potent photovoltaic plants is located near Moura. WaveRoller converts ocean waves to electricity and energy. The WindFloat floating wind farm is another example of an innovative project.
Portugal’s dictatorship was the longest in Europe.
The authoritarian regime was ruled by Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, its leader, from 1926 to 1974. Portugal went through three phases of dictatorship. The first was the military dictatorship, Ditadura Militar (1926-1928), then the national dictatorship, Ditadura Nacional (1933-1933), and finally, the new state, Estado Novo (1933-1974). Portugal’s dictatorship years were marked by a solid nationalist conservatism fueled by Catholicism. The bloodless coup known as the Carnation Revolution overthrew the dictatorship on 25 April 1974. Portugal celebrates this revolution yearly on Freedom Day (Dia da Liberdade), on the 25th of April. The country was made a democratic republic in 1976.
Portugal is both a founding Member and a member in good standing of the EU
Portugal joined the European Economic Community (ECC) in 1986. This was the precursor of the European Union. The EU/IMF granted Portugal a bailout in 2011 of EUR78 billion. The bailout was granted on the assumption of austerity measures by the government.
Portugal was the sixth European country that allowed same-sex marriages
The government has made tremendous strides since homosexuality was illegal under the fascist Estado Novo regime. It ranks seventh in the Ilga-Europe Rainbow Country Rankings 2019 for its record on LGBT rights.
Portugal was the first country to record a hot-air balloon ascent
Father Bartolomeu de Gusmao designed a hot-air balloon model. It was launched on August 8, 1709. The balloon flew at Casa da India, Terreiro do Pago.
Portugal’s women live six more years than their male counterparts
Portugal has a wider health gap than other developed nations. Statistics Portugal’s 2020 data show that Portugal’s life expectancy at birth is 78.07 years for men and 83.67 years for women.