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About Portugal
Population: 10,309,573 – 2017 estimate
Land Area: 92.212 Km2
Language: Portuguese
Currency: Euro
Capital: Lisbon
Timezone: WET/GMT UTC (Azores UTC-1)
Calling code: 00 351
Climate: Maritime temperate
Religion: Roman Catholicism
When to Go to Portugal
Peak season in Portugal is during the summer months of June to August. Portuguese school holidays begin in mid-June and go on to the beginning of September.
Temperatures are around 30ºC, and popular destinations like Porto, Lisbon, Sintra and Algarve experience a massive influx of tourists. Days are now longer, and outdoor dining and parting bring a special touch to the cities. People mingle more, and the overall ambience makes up for the price increase.
Spring and fall are still warm and maybe a better option for those who don’t like scorching days. It makes for better sightseeing, less crowded beaches and a more local vibe.
Winter is from November to February. It gets cold, and tourist crowds have thinned out considerably. Portuguese tend to stay indoors during this season, making for empty streets.
Curiosities about Portugal
Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe
King Afonso I declared independence in 1139 and Portugal has the same defined borders since 1249, almost 800 years ago. Lisbon is older than Rome and among the oldest cities in Europe
The first sea explorers were Portuguese.
It was during the time known as the Age of Discovery (15th-16th century), that Bartolomeu Dias headed an expedition to sail around the southern tip of Africa in the hope of finding a trade route to India. Vasco da Gama was first European to reach India, by sea, linking Europe and Asia by an ocean route. Alvares Cabral led the first known expedition to Brasil, touched four continents: Europe, Africa, America, and Asia – and claimed them for Portugal. Fernão de Magalhães was the first person to circumnavigate the globe.
The Portuguese were the first European people to reach Japan
The first global empire was Portuguese.
In 1494, Portugal and Spain divided the world in two, by signing the treaty of Tordesilhas giving Portugal the eastern half of the “New Word”, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia.
Portugal’s colonial empire spanned 600 years, the longest-lived of the modern European empires.
At its height, it included what are now 53 different countries. Brazil got independence in 1822, all of Portugal’s African colonies were independent by the end of 1975 and the last Portuguese colony, Macau, was handed over to China in 1999.
Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the World
The Portuguese language is the 6th most spoken language in the world with 220 to 240 million native speakers around the world. It’s the official language of 9 countries, and is heard in the 5 continents!
Portugal and England have the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world.
The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance was signed in 1373 and is still in use today
Portugal ranks as the 17th safest country in the world.
Our love for Codfish
Even if we don’t have codfish swimming in our waters, our passion for it is unquestionable. It was in the 15th century that the Portuguese started trading in codfish and were the first to fish for it in the Newfoundlands. They dried and salted it which made it last for as long three months. It is said that we have more than 365 recipes of Codfish. One for every day of the year!
The Portuguese enjoy their coffee.
Our coffee (café ou Bica) is normally served small and strong and is an important cultural feature of the Portuguese.
The Portuguese are fatalists.
Portuguese traditional music is Fado, meaning Fate: A destiny that cannot be changed. A melancholic song of love, loss, hopefulness and resignation, always accompanied by the Portuguese guitar. It has been given the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage status.
The Portuguese will welcome you with open arms.
Be polite, and a Portuguese will give you the best of welcome, even inviting you to their home or insisting you eat something that they have just prepared. They will make an effort to speak your language or at least in English. However, a few words in Portuguese will take you a long way
Bom dia – good morning
Boa tarde – good afternoon
Obrigado | Obrigada – Thank you (o) Masculine, (a) feminine