General Information
These pages give you information about Portugal to whet
the appetite and to encourage you to visit this beautiful country
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The Geography
of Portugal
Two friends talking :
Question : Where did you go this year?
Reply: Portugal
Question : Did you enjoy it?
Reply: Yes. Very much indeed.
Question : Where is Portugal?
Reply: I don't know. We flew there.
Portugal is in fact on the south west coast of Europe lying between
Spain and the Atlantic Ocean.
Prior to the 1500's, Cabo São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent) on
the Southwest corner of Portugal used to be called "The end of the world".
This was because it was the westernmost part of the then known world which
was believed to be flat. It was thought if you sailed out of sight
of land you might fall over the edge of the world.
Most visitors know Portugal through the mass tourist area of the Algarve,
a land of hot sunshine and little rain with the houses and names reflecting
the fact that it was ruled by the Moors for centuries. Unfortunately
the delightful fishing villages are now hard to find in the concrete jungle.
A very different Portugal is found in the north. This is an area
of Celtic people where you can find some of the most beautiful landscapes
in the world. An area of craggy mountains, endless beaches
and productive valleys. The area, Costa Verde, well justifies its
title, The Green Coast.
Between these two extremes is an area of wide open plains, dotted with
olive trees and cork oaks. Scattered around this area are some beautiful
towns of great historical significance with their castles, churches and
palaces.
In this central area is situated Lisbon, the capital city, which, between
May and September 1998 will host 'The Last World Exposition of the XXth
Century' - EXPO'98. At the last count there were 138 confirmed
countries taking exhibition halls or stands. Those who did not go
to Seville should certainly make ever effort to attend here. If you
do, make time to also visit parts of the 'Real Portugal'.
Porto (Oporto), further north, is the industrial centre of Portugal
with Lisbon being considered the cultural centre. Perhaps this is the reason
why the Lisbon area gets twice as much from European Funds, per head of
the population, as the northern area. (This is a biased view of residents
in the North).
The Portuguese
People
For centuries Portugal has been regarded as the land on the edge. This
is not only a reference to being on the edge of the then known world but
also caught between traditional ways of subsistence living and the high
flying technological age.
Characteristically the Portuguese charm their visitors with their mild
mannered approach. They refer to themselves as the country of the 'brandos
costumes' (gentle ways). They are proud of the fact that they abolished
the death penalty in 1867, carried out a virtual bloodless revolution in
1974 and do not kill the bull in the bullfight . Although it is still cruel,
you must wait for your visit to see the fair fight between man and bull
that is the finale of the Portuguese fight before the bull leaves the ring
with his harem of cows.
Temple
of Diana at Evora
Like the rest of Europe, Portugal has been invaded by many races but the
ones who left their mark are :
The Celts who have given the north of Portugal its colourful
celtic traditions and festivals which is also evident in the characteristics
of the inhabitants.
The Suevi, from eastern Germany, who gave the country its name.
Portucale was their name for the settlement at Porto (Oporto)
The Romans who gave the Portuguese their language, agriculture
and wine.
The Moors who gave the Algarve their architecture and style of
living and the name of the Region (Al Gharb).
The French who gave them their legal system.
The British, their oldest allies, who gave their telephone and
letter boxes (and other things!)
A Few Statistics
Land Area :
92,080 sq. km
Land Boundry :
1,214 km
Coast Line :
1,793 km
Climate :
Maritime Temperate - warmer and drier in south
Natural Resourses : Fish, Forests (cork),
tungsten,iron and uranium ore, marble.
Population :
10.5 million
Literacy :
Male 89% Female 82%
Exports :
Cotton textiles, cork and paper products, canned fish,
wine, timber and timber products, resin, machinery, appliances.
History of Portugal
Portugal (or Portucale) is one of the oldest nations in Europe, first
getting its designation as a country in the eleventh century. Its
rulers were appointed by the King of León before independence was
gained in 1143.
Much of the period after independence was spent fighting the Moors
both in North Africa and on Portuguese soil. Castile in Spain was
also a threat but they were defeated at the battle of Aljubarrota by the
Portuguese army.
Then came the period of the Discoveries and the days of great wealth
for Portugal through trading with their colonies of Brazil, in Africa,
in India, in China and Japan and in the East Indies. Later religious
pressure from Spain caused the setting up of an 'Inquisition' in Portugal.
This resulted in the expulsion of the Jewish and Moorish traders leaving
Portugal with an empire based on trade but no commercial expertise.
The resulting commercial decline was followed by a disastrous defeat
in Morocco. Amongst the 8,000 dead were most of Portugal's nobility
and King Dom Sebastian (he of the Lagos statue!). Portugal's wealth
was spent on paying ransoms for those captured in this battle. With
all heirs to the throne killed, the Spanish took over Portugal in 1581.
In 1640, a small group stormed the palace and deposed the Spanish appointed
governor. The Duke of Bragança became King by popular acclaim.
In the late 1600's, gold and diamonds were discovered in Brazil which
made Portugal financially strong again but this was all spent on lavish
baroque style building which is so enjoyed by many visitors today.
In 1755, The Great Earthquake struck, destroying most of Lisbon and
many towns and villages from the Algarve coast up to central Portugal.
The Marquês of Pombal, the Chief Minister took charge with the motto
of 'bury the dead and feed the living'. He was responsible for the
rebuilding of Lisbon in its present day grid structure.
In 1807, Napoleon marched into Lisbon and the royal family fled to Brazil.
Under the treaty of Windsor of 1386, the fighting was carried on by British
Generals, including Beresford and Wellington, who finally threw him out
3 years later. In return Britain received the right to trade with
Brazil direct and not through Portuguese merchants.
Following the exile of the King there were constant struggles between
those favouring a monarchy and those wanting a republic, finally on October
5, 1910 the monarchy was overthrown and a republic declared.
In World War I Portugal fought on the side of the allies with the loss
of many men which was disastrous economically.
In 1926 Dr. Salazar became Finace Minister and later 'Prime Minister'.
He was dictator until 1968 when he became incapable due to injuries received
when his deck chair collapsed under him. He died in 1970 and during
his final two years no one dared tell him that he was no longer Prime Minister.
The dictatorship, under his successor, was finally overthrown in 1974
in a virtually bloodless revolution but not before many of the young Portuguese
men had given their lives in fighting colonial wars in Angola, Mozambique
and Guinea-Bissau.
After two years of political instability followed during which some
momentous decisions were made including the giving of independance to all
of the overseas territories. For most contries involved this was
a disastrous decicion, resulting in civil war and Angola with Cuba trying
to replace the Portuguese troops, civil war in Mozambique and East Timor
being invaded by Indonesia who massacred more than ten per cent of the
population.
Beginning in 1975, a strong stable democracy established itself which
continues today.
In 1373, an alliance was entered into between Portugal and England and,
as a result the Portuguese army was assisted by English bowmen at the battle
of Aljubarrota in 1385 when they defeated the army of the King of Castile.
The following year, the two countries signed the Treaty of Windsor which
was to be "an inviolable, eternal, solid, perpetual and true league of
friendship". These negotiations were carried out, on England's behalf,
by John, Duke of Lancaster, also known as John of Gaunt, who was Protector
for the infant King of England.
When the treaty was ratified in Portugal, John brought his daughter
Phillipa of Lancaster, who then married King João I, which was probably
part of the original treaty!
These two are buried side by side in what is now known as Batalha (Battle
Abbey). Their hands are clasped "in the ultimate expression of harmonious
relations between Portugal and England". Four of their youngest sons
are also buried in the Abbey including Henry the Navigator.
But we digress .....
This treaty was strengthened by the marriage in 1661 between Charles
II and Catherine of Bragança. She gave the Portuguese habit of tea
drinking
to the English.
In 1821, Generals Beresford and Wellington commanded the troops that
threw out Napoleon from Portugal. He came back twice so this task
had to be done three times!
In the Second World War Portugal was neutral but the treaty was invoked
by the allies to establish bases on the Azores.
During the 1982 Falklands War the facilities of the Azores were again
offered to the British Royal Navy.
When you drink your next cup of tea, please pause a moment and drink
a toast to the Treaty of Windsor which is the longest standing international
friendship treaty. For those preferring something stronger, Port
Wine is acceptable since the expansion of this trade by British merchants
was also a direct result of the treaty.
The Discoveries
by the Portuguese
The Portuguese carried out the greatest voyages of exploration and
discovery. As a result Portugal became one of the richest nations
in the world from the mid fifteenth century to the late sixteenth century.
Sail down the coast of West Africa
Discover Madeira and the Azores and Cape Verde Islands
To round (and name) the Cape of Good hope (Cabo da boa Esperança)-
Bartholomew Dias
To reach India by sea from the west - Vasco da Gama
The first to trade with China and Japan
The first to see Australia (200 years before Capt. Cook)
The first to discover South America and Brazil - Cabal. He had
probably been blown off course whilst travelling down the Atlantic on route
for the Orient.
The first to settle
Newfoundland and discover the Great Banks (Fegundes)
All these discoveries took place between 1419 and 1500 and were made
possible because of the development of the Portuguese vessel, the Caravel,
and of navigational techniques under Henry the Navigator's influence at
his famous School of Navigation at Sagres.
Top of Page
The Culture
of Portugal
The culture of Portugal is divided between traditional rural cultural
events and the international culture of Lisbon.
Portugal has its own theatrical tradition and also has many small Museums
and Galleries with the best known being Gulbenkian Foundation based
in Lisbon. The foundation also sponsors an Orchestra.
Most towns have a cinema which usually shows English language films
with Portuguese subtitles.
!998 sees Expo'98 in Lisbon which, from May to September, will have
international entertainment on the site every evening - this will be free
once the entrance fee to Expo98 has been paid.
The regions have their own fairs and 'festas'. This tradition
is probably strongest in the north where celtic drums and bagpipes play
and the villagers, wearing the attractive 'traje' regional costume dance
in celtic fashion.
The style of singing in the north and also the Fado singing of Coimbra
and Lisbon is 'an acquired taste' .
Portugal's rich history has left a present day reminder in the exquisite
architecture
throughout the country including Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline and Baroque.
The magnificent Baroque became an eighteenth century symbol of great economic
wealth generated by gold and diamonds from Brazil and the sudden
development of port wine exports. These buildings virtually bankrupted
the country at the time but they are now available for our enjoyment.
Manueline architecture is peculiarly Portuguese and comprises of exotic
flowers and vegetation intertwined as a symbol of overseas exploration.
Also contained are Crosses of the Order of Christ and armillary spheres
which commemorate the influence of Henry the Navigator.
The Portuguese
Language
Portuguese is a latin language which is evident from the written word
but when spoken is entirely different from other western European languages.
Surprisingly the Rumanians and the Portuguese can understand each other.
A surprise to many, is that Portuguese is the fifth most commonly spoken
language in the world. This is mainly due to the large Portuguese
speaking population of Brazil, with the addition of Angola and Mozambique
in Africa and East Timor in the Far East.
The language, or a variation of it, is Galego which is the traditional
language of Galicia in Northern Spain. Unfortunately this language
was suppressed in the past but is now making a come back with television
stations etc.
The trading with Japan, and also the founding of Osaka by Portuguese
Jesuit priests have resulted in many Portuguese words in the Japanese language.
The most notable is 'arigato' the Japanese word for 'thank you' which comes
from the Portuguese 'obrigado' (or obrigada if spoken by a woman).
English and German are commonly understood in the tourist areas of the
Algarve but in the north French is the second language. This is because
approximately 50% of the working population in the North of Portugal is
working overseas with Paris being the second largest Portuguese city as
measured by the number of Portuguese residents.
Politics
of Portugal
After the establishment of the first Republic on October 5, 1910 there
was a gradual weakening of the economy and also attempts by the monarchists
to overthrow the new regime by force.
The government during this Republic did not fulfil the hopes of the
people and the right wing gained power. In 1928, Dr Salazar became
Finance Minister and then Prime Minister from 1932 to 1968. Although
his title was Prime Minister he was elected to power by a one party state.
A better title is Dictator.
Initially he balanced the country's books but during this long period
there was little growth and he retained power with the help of the secret
police. At the end of this dictatorship, colonial wars in Angola,
Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau caused discontent within the army until finally
there was a bloodless coup on April 25, 1974.
The colonies were given self rule, without preparation, during the two
years of great political turmoil which followed the revolution. However,
in the 1980's a strong democracy developed mainly under two strong political
leaders of opposite ends of the spectrum, Dr Mario Soares and Dr. Cavaco
Silva.
The country has recently moved to the left, in common with the rest
of Europe, whereas previously there had been a long period of an elected
right wing parliament under Dr. Cavaco Silva and an elected left wing President
in Dr. Mario Soares. All persons had a champion of their political
cause in high office.
Portugal is now an enthusiastic member of the European Union and
is likely to be among the first wave of entries into Monetary Union.
Economy of
Portugal
Portugal remains a mainly agricultural economy, but membership of the
Common Market resulted in a considerable increase in industrial development.
The chief manufacturing activities are textiles, clothing and shoes
which were attracted by low labour costs. Nowadays the economy is
moving towards machinery processed foods, chemicals, cement and timber
products.
A large car assembly plant has been built which is producing the
'people carrier' for Ford and Volkswagen.
Agricultural and fishery products remain important exports particularly
cork products where Portugal is the worlds largest exporter. The
export of wines is also substantial.
The country also has good mineral reserves including, tin, kaolin, wolfram,
pyrites, uranium and compounds of copper, sodium and calcium. In
addition, the country is the world's second largest exporter of marble
and is also a major exporter of granite.
Tourism is an important activity which is centred on the coves and beaches
of the western Algarve and, to a lesser extent on the Lisbon coastal resorts.
The beauty of the other parts of Portugal are largely unknown even though
tourism in Portugal first made its impact in the northernmost province
of Minho.
As industrialization takes place it is causing an exodus from the villages
into the towns. If you want to visit mountain villages where they
do not yet use money, do not delay your visit. These villages will
die soon now that they have roads, telephones and electricity. They
now watch the Brazilian equivalent of 'Dallas' on television, assume that
all life in towns is like that and leave to find a better life. In
the mountainous areas one half of the working population have jobs overseas.
Climate of
Portugal
The climate of portugal, as everywhere is influenced by its geographical
location. Being on the west coast of the Iberian peninsular it is
affected by the land mass while at the same time being a coastal country,
the weather is also influenced by the sea.
In summer, when the Azores high is established, there are hot sunny days
with the coastal areas kept cool by the Portuguese trade winds (the Nortada)
which blows strongly every afternoon. The interior, away from the
sea can get very hot in summer.
The Algarve coast is sheltered from the north wind and has the higher
summer temperatures favoured by the holiday makers who want to lie on the
beach.
Winters are mild in Portugal being south of most of the other mediterranean
countries. The north has a mixture of rain and sunny days not unlike
an English summer.
Central areas have gentle dry summers and short mild winters whilst
winter in the Algarve is usually dry and warmer than the north.
Winter in Portugal is very pleasant without the hot weather many people
find oppressive. Everywhere in Portugal at this time of year you
need a pullover packed in the suitcase and an umbrella.
Food of Portugal
To the Portuguese food is probably the second most important thing
they think about. Meal times are very important, details of the dish
that was eaten the day before makes an interesting topic of conversation
and the Sunday lunch with the extended family must be attended.
Outside the main cities and tourist areas, the food has developed over
the years as the Romans started agriculture, the Discoverers found new
ingredients and spices and colonolists returned from the colonies.
The Portuguese eat more fish than any other country in Europe and also
more rice (cultivated in Portugal).
The tradition of a specific area or village having its own dish remains
very strong and the Portugese will travel for an hour to eat the speciality
of that village in one of its restaurants. For example the village
of Mealhada has about one hundred restaurants filled by people from outside
who have come to eat suckling pig.
Quantity is almost as important as quality and, especially in the north,
is it usual when ordering a dish to ask if it is enough for two people.
High quality food can be found throughout the country. The surroundings
are not important, it is the quality of the food that matters. Do
have the courage to join the locals in the 'taskas' and try the dishes.
For those on a budget, try the dish of the day (prata do dia) served
at lunchtime in many restaurants. This will cost about 600 escudos
outside the main cities and will include a glass of wine or beer.
The Portuguese restaurants are worth trying but do try the traditional
dishes. Be careful if you order a steak and chips since meat is not
hung and it is likely to be tough.
Wine of Portugal
Portuguese wines are of good overall quality and are inexpensive.
It is rarely that you will be unpleasantly surprised if you order the house
wine (vinho da casa) in a restaurant. In the country areas this may
be produced by the restaurant itself and they will be proud that it has
not gone through the co-operative and contains no chemicals (used for preserving
wine). It presumably has not paid tax either!
When faced by a bewildering choice on the supermarket shelf, pick
from the Dão region and know that all the wines, both red and white,
will be of good quality,
Other regions producing red wines worth tasting are Bairrada and Borba.
The most famous of the whites are the Vinho Verdes from the Northern
region. These are light, crisp, fresh tasting and slightly sparkling,
which are excellent with shellfish or even drunk throughout the meal.
When ordering red wine it is better to chose one produced in the hotter,
drier areas to the south.of the country. Be prepared for the Portuguese
habit of drinking red wine chilled or ask for it 'natural' which is room
temperature.
The most famous wine of Portugal is undoubtedly the 'Vinho do Porto'
or Port Wine, which is fortified with brandy. The red Ports are usually
drunk at the end of a meal but do try the white Port as an aperitif before
the meal. White Port is best serve chilled.
A visit to the port wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, near Porto is
a must for anyone visiting the north. The 'caves' of all the famous
producers are here and a guide will show you how the Port is produced most
have an area to sit and sample the product. Many people think that
a visit to the smaller, less comercialised, lodges is more rewarding than
the well known names on the river front.
Going stronger, there are the Portuguese brandies of which the most
common is Maceira although many foreigners seem to prefer Brandy Croft.
The more adventurous might like to try the aguardente of which Bagaço
will certainly give its effect all the way down.
Beers are good and strong with Super Bock and Sagres being the two main
brands. They are very inexpensive with a bottle costing about 120
escudos (about 40p) in a cafe - higher in the main tourist areas!
All drink in Portugal is cheap. Even scotch whisky can be bought
in the shops at less than the price charged by airport duty free shops.
Accommodation
in Portugal
Every city and town offers a wide range of places to stay at
prices considerably cheaper than in Northern Europe. The main tourist
complexes are situated in the Algarve coast and, to a lesser extent, the
coast west of Lisbon.
However we believe that the Manor Houses of Portugal are the best way
to enjoy the country provided you do not require the bustle and discos
of the tourist areas.
Being house guests of the owners, you get an unforgettable experience
of Portuguese life at the top of the social spectrum. In addition,
many of the houses have converted outbuildings into self contained cottages
(called apartments in Portugal) with a kitchenette.
The houses serve breakfast but only a few offer an evening meal, however
nearby there will be a restaurant who will serve mounds of food at a reasonable
price.
These houses are often in areas of outstanding beauty, and you will
have the opportunity of meeting the estate workers and local farmers.
These local farmers often practice subsistence agriculture, little changed
from the days when the Romans moved their ancestors from their mountain
top strongholds to the valleys to produce food for the legions.