3. Portugal
• Portugal is one of the
oldest countries in all
Europe. It was founded in
1143 by D. Afonso
Henriques, after some
disputes with Castella –
Spain. Portugal was the
first unified nation-state in
Western Europe, and it
maintains its continental
borders intact since the
13th century.
4. • It is a member of the EU
for 24 years now and it
has developed a lot
since then.
5. • The population of Portugal has been unusually homogeneous
for most of its history.
• Portuguese is the 5th language (mais falada) in the World.
Official language in Portugal and Brazil, and with other
languages in Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Macau,
Mozambique, Saint Tome and Prince, Timor, Equatorial
Guinea, and in the old portuguese India, Goa, Damão, Diu,
Dadrá and Nagar-Aveli.
• Before 1143 Portuguese territory was visited and ruled by
Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans (who left us our
language).
6. • Portugal is situated at the
south-west point of Europe
and also includes the Madeira
and Azores archipelagos in the
Atlantic Ocean. Mainland
Portugal occupies an area of
about 90,000 km2. It is 218 km
wide and 561 km long. It has
832 km of Atlantic coast and a
1,215 km border with Spain,
it’s only neighbour.
7. • According to the last
estimatives, Portugal
population of about
10.5 million people –
52% female and 48%
male.
8. • The population density is
higher in Lisbon, the
capital and its suburbs,
where almost 2 million
people live. The second
largest city in Portugal is
Porto, in the north. The
majority of the
portuguese people – 80%
- live in the country’s
coastal regions.
9. Climate
• The climate in portugal varies
considersbly from one region
to another and is influenced
by the relief, latitude and
proximity to the sea, which
offers mild winters, especially
in the Algarve – southern
region.
• In the north and inland
regions, the winters are colder,
although the temperatures are
still mild when compared to
the rest of Europe.
10. • Summers are hot and dry,
especially in the inland
areas. Temperatures are
slightly lower in the coastal
areas, because of the
influence ot the sea. Spring
and Autum are very
moderate – for instance,
last year, when it was
snowing in Prague, we had
23 degree maximum an 10
degree minimum.
11. History
• With such a long sea coast, it
is not surprising that Portugal
has such a long tradition of
sailors, that discovered new
land in all the continents and
as some poet said: added new
worlds to the world.
• This fact contributed decisively
to our openness to the world
and intercultural
communication
12. Governement
Actually Portugal is a
democratic republic
where the president is
Anibal Cavaco Silva and
the Prime Minister is José
Sócrates.
13. Luis de Camões
• (1524 – 1580) – epical
poet, writer of Os
Lusiadas, our main
literary achievement
