Revision as of 19:29, 28 February 2007 view source209.50.135.53 (talk) ←Blanked the page← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:30, 28 February 2007 view source Ligulem (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers28,245 editsm Reverted edits by 209.50.135.53 (talk) to last version by 156.34.142.110Next edit → | ||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Infobox Country or territory | |||
|native_name = ''República Portuguesa'' | |||
|conventional_long_name = Portuguese Republic | |||
|common_name = Portugal | |||
|image_flag = Flag of Portugal.svg | |||
|image_coat = COA of Portugal.svg | |||
|image_map = EU location POR.png | |||
|map_caption = Location of ] (dark orange)<p style="text-align:left;margin-left:1.2ex;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:-2px;line-height:1em;">– in the ] (light orange)<br/>– at the ] (EU + clear) — (])</p> | |||
|national_anthem = '']'' | |||
|official_languages = ]<sup>1</sup> | |||
|capital = ] ] | |||
|latd=38 |latm=46 |latNS=N |longd=9 |longm=11 |longEW=W | |||
|largest_city = ] ] | |||
|government_type = ] | |||
|leader_title1 = ] | |||
|leader_title2 = ] | |||
|leader_name1 = ] | |||
|leader_name2 = ] | |||
|accessionEUdate = ] ] | |||
|area_rank = 110th | |||
|area_magnitude = 1 E10 | |||
|area = 92,391 | |||
|areami² = 35,672 <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
|percent_water = 0.5 | |||
|population_estimate = 10,605,870 | |||
|population_estimate_year = July 2006 | |||
|population_estimate_rank = 75th | |||
|population_census = 10,148,259 | |||
|population_census_year = 2001 | |||
|population_density = 114 | |||
|population_densitymi² = 295 <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
|population_density_rank = 87th | |||
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005 | |||
|GDP_PPP = $203.381 billion | |||
|GDP_PPP_rank = 41st <!--IMF--> | |||
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $19,335 <!--IMF--> | |||
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 37th <!--IMF--> | |||
|sovereignty_type = Formation | |||
|sovereignty_note = ] | |||
|established_event1 = Independence | |||
|established_event2 = Kingdom | |||
|established_event3 = Recognized | |||
|established_event4 = Republic | |||
|established_date1 = ] ] | |||
|established_date2 = ] ] | |||
|established_date3 = ] ] | |||
|established_date4 = ] ] | |||
|HDI_year = 2004 | |||
|HDI = {{steady}} 0.904 | |||
|HDI_rank = 28th | |||
|HDI_category = <span style="color:#090;">high</span> | |||
|currency = ] (])<sup>2</sup> | |||
|currency_code = EUR | |||
|country_code = PRT | |||
|time_zone = ]<sup>3</sup> | |||
|utc_offset = | |||
|time_zone_DST = ] | |||
|utc_offset_DST = +1 | |||
|cctld = ]<sup>4</sup> | |||
|calling_code = 351 | |||
|footnotes = <sup>1</sup> ], spoken in some villages of the municipality of ], was officially recognized in 1999 (''Lei n.º 7/99 de 29 de Janeiro''), since then awarding an official right-of-use Mirandese to the linguistic minority it is concerned.<ref>, europa.eu - ] website, accessed January 2007</ref> The ] is also recognized.<br/><sup>2</sup> Prior to 1999: ].<br/><sup>3</sup> ]: ]-1; UTC in ].<br/><sup>4</sup> The ] domain is also used, as it is shared with other ] member states. | |||
}} | |||
{{coor title dm|38|42|N|9|11|W|type:country}} | |||
'''Portugal''', officially the '''Portuguese Republic''' (]: ''República Portuguesa''; ] ] {{IPA|}}), located in southwestern ] on the ], is the westernmost country of mainland Europe. Portugal is bordered by ] to the north and east and by the ] to the west and south. The ] ]s of the ] and ] are also part of Portugal. | |||
The territory which forms the modern Portuguese Republic has witnessed a constant flow of ]s during the past 3,100 years, since the earlier ] inhabitants, to the ], ], and ] peoples who made an imprint on the country's culture, history, language, and ethnic composition. During the 15th and 16th centuries, with ], Portugal was one of the world's major economic, political, and cultural powers. A ], Portugal is a member of the ] (since ]), the ] (since ]), and a founding member of the ], ], and ]. | |||
==History== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main article: "History of Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
{{Main|History of Portugal}} | |||
]]] | |||
The early history of Portugal is shared with the rest of the ]. The region was visited by ] and ], settled by ], incorporated in the ] (as ] in ]), settled again by ], ] and ] and conquered by ]. In ], during the ], the ] was formed. A victory over the Muslims at ] in ] is traditionally taken as the occasion when Portugal is transformed from a county into an ]. | |||
In fact, Portugal came into existence as an independent nation on ] ], when ], Count of Portugal, defeated his mother, ], and her lover, ], in battle - thereby establishing himself as sole leader. Afonso Henriques proclaimed himself ] on ], ], after the ] and was recognized as such in ] by ], king of León and Castile, and in ] by ]. | |||
Afonso and his successors, aided by military ], pushed southward to drive out the Moors, as the size of Portugal covered about half of its present area. In ], this ] ended with the capture of the ] on the southern coast, giving Portugal its present day borders, with minor exceptions. | |||
], known as the "Cradle of Portugal", ]]] | |||
In 1373, Portugal made an ], which is the longest-standing alliance in the world. | |||
In 1383, the king of Castile, husband of the daughter of the Portuguese king who had died without a male heir, claimed his throne. An ensuing popular revolt led to the ]. A faction of petty noblemen and commoners, led by John of Aviz (later ]), seconded by General ], defeated the Castilians in the ]. This celebrated battle is still a symbol of glory and the struggle for independence from neighboring Spain. | |||
In the following decades, Portugal spearheaded the exploration of the world and undertook the ]. Prince ], son of King João I, became the main sponsor and patron of this endeavor. | |||
In 1415, the ] arose when a fleet conquered ], a prosperous Islamic trade center in North ]. There followed the first discoveries in the Atlantic: ] and the ], which led to the first ] movements. | |||
]'', a monument to ] and the ], ]]] | |||
Throughout the 15th century, Portuguese explorers sailed the coast of Africa, establishing trading posts as they looked for a route to India and its spices, which were coveted in Europe. In 1498, ] finally reached India and brought economic prosperity to Portugal and its then population of one million residents. | |||
In 1500, ] landed in ] and claimed it for Portugal. Ten years later, ] conquered ], in ], ] in the Persian Strait, and ] in what is now ]. Thus, the Portuguese empire held dominion over commerce in the ] and South Atlantic. | |||
Portugal's independence was interrupted between 1580 and 1640. Because the heirless King ] died in battle in Morocco, ] claimed his throne and so became Philip I of Portugal. Although Portugal did not lose its formal independence, it was governed by the same monarch who governed Spain, briefly forming a union of kingdoms; in 1640, ] spearheaded an uprising backed by disgruntled nobles and was proclaimed king. This was the beginning of the long-lived ]. | |||
By this time, however, the ] was already under attack from other countries, specifically Britain and the Netherlands. Portugal began a slow but inexorable decline until the 20th century. This decline was hastened by the independence in 1822 of the country's largest colonial possession, ]. | |||
In 1910, a revolution deposed the ], but chaos continued and considerable economic problems were aggravated by the ], which led to a ]. This in turn led to the establishment of a right-wing dictatorship by ]. | |||
In the early 1960s, independence movements in the colonies of ], ], and ] resulted in the ]. In 1974, a bloodless left-wing ] known as the ] led the way for a modern democracy as well as the independence of the last colonies in Africa shortly after. Portugal joined the ] in 1986, and ever since it has engaged in a process of convergence with its ] counterparts. | |||
==Government and Politics== | |||
<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series--> | |||
], ]]] | |||
{{morepolitics|country=Portugal}} | |||
Unlike its eastern neighbor ], which is a ]; Portugal is a democratic republic ruled by the ] with ], the nation's largest city, as its capital. | |||
The four main governing components are the ], the ], the ], and the courts. The constitution grants the complete separation of powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches. | |||
The president, who is elected to a five-year term, has a supervising, nonexecutive role. The Assembly of the Republic is a ] parliament composed of 230 deputies elected for four-year terms. | |||
The government is headed by the ], who chooses the Council of Ministers, comprising all the ministers and the respective state secretaries. The national and regional governments, and the ], are dominated by two political parties, the ] and the ]. Minority parties ] (] plus ]), ] (Left Bloc) and ] (People's Party) are also represented in the ] and local governments. | |||
The ] are organized into categories, including judicial, administrative, and fiscal. The ]s are the courts of last appeal. A thirteen-member ] oversees the constitutionality of legislation. | |||
==Foreign Relations and Military== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main articles: "Foreign Relations of Portugal" and "Military of Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
{{main|Foreign Relations of Portugal|Military of Portugal}} | |||
] of the ]]] | |||
Portugal has been a member of ] since 1949, the ] since 1986, and the ] since 1996. It has a friendship alliance and ] treaty with Brazil. It has good relations with the ], the ] and ] (due to ]), as well as the other ] countries. | |||
The only international dispute concerns the municipality of ], which Spain received in 1801 under the ] and has since administered. Portugal claimed it in 1815 under the ]. Nevertheless, diplomatic relations between the two countries are cordial. | |||
The armed forces have three branches: ], ], and ]. In the 20th century, Portugal engaged in two major military interventions: the ] and the ] (1961-1974). Portugal has participated in peacekeeping missions in ], ], ], ], ] (]), and ]. | |||
==Administrative Divisions== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main article: "Administrative divisions of Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
] and the two ] (not in their actual locations)]] | |||
{{main|Administrative divisions of Portugal}} | |||
Portugal has an administrative structure of 308 ] (Portuguese singular/plural: ''concelho/concelhos''), which are subdivided into more than 4,000 parishes (''freguesia/freguesias''). Municipalities are grouped for administrative purposes into superior units. For continental Portugal the municipalities are gathered in 18 Districts, while the Islands have a Regional Government directly above them. Thus, the largest unit of classification are the ones established since 1976 into either ] (''Portugal Continental'') or the ] (] and ]). | |||
==Geography and Climate== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main articles: "Geography of Portugal" and "Conservation areas of Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
{{main|Geography of Portugal|Conservation areas of Portugal}} | |||
] - Portugal is widely known in Europe for its beach resorts]] | |||
The climate can be classified as ] in the north and ] in the south. One of the warmest European countries, yearly temperature averages in ] are 13°C (55°F) in the north and 18°C (64°F) in the south. The ] and ] Atlantic archipelagos have a narrower temperature range. Spring and summer are sunny, whereas autumn and winter are rainy and windy. | |||
] is split by its main river, the ]. The northern landscape is mountainous in interior areas, with plateaus indented by river valleys. The south, between the ] and the ] (the ]), features mostly rolling plains and a climate somewhat warmer and drier than in the cooler and rainier north. The ], separated from the ] by mountains, enjoys a ] like southern Spain. ] is usual in the northern half of the country, around the 40 N parallel. It is a rare event in the south, but it does happen. | |||
The islands of the Azores and Madeira are located in the ]. Some islands have had volcanic activity as recently as 1957. Portugal's highest point is ] on ]. It is an ancient volcano measuring 2,351 m (7,713 ft). | |||
==Economy== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main article: "Economy of Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
] took place, ]]] | |||
{{main|Economy of Portugal}} | |||
Portugal joined the ] in ] and started a process of modernization within the framework of a stable environment. It has achieved a healthy level of growth. Successive governments have implemented reforms and privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy. Portugal was one of the founding countries of the ] in ]. | |||
Major industries include ], ], ] production, ], ], ], ], and ] (the world's leading producer).<ref>''Grande Enciclopédia Universal'', p. 10543, "Portugal", para. 4</ref> Agriculture no longer represents the bulk of the economy, but ], namely ] (named after the country's second largest city, ]) and ] (named after ]), are exported worldwide. ] is also important, especially in the ] and ]. | |||
The Global Competitiveness Report for 2005, published by the ], places Portugal on the 22nd position, ahead of countries like ], ], ], ] and ]. This table shows that Portugal has stepped two places regarding the 2004 ranking. On the Technology index, Portugal was ranked 20th and on the Public Institutions index Portugal is the 15th best. | |||
A research about ] by ] or EIU places Portugal as the 20th country with best quality of life in the world. | |||
==Energy, Transportation and Communications== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main articles: "Transportation in Portugal" and "Communications in Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
] - one of the largest Portuguese ] generation facilities.]] | |||
{{main|Transportation in Portugal|Communications in Portugal}} | |||
In 2006 the world's largest ] plant began operating in the nation's sunny south while the world's first commercial ] farm opened in October 2006 in the ]. As of 2006, 55% of electricity production was from coal and fuel power plants. The other 40% was produced by ]s and 5% by ]. The government is channeling $3.8 billion into developing ] sources over the next five years. | |||
Portugal wants ] sources like solar, wind and wave power to account for nearly half of the electricity consumed in the country by ]. "This new goal will place Portugal in the frontline of renewable energy and make it, along with ] and ], one of the three nations that most invest in this sector", Prime Minister ] said. | |||
]-200 from national airline ].]] | |||
Transportation was seen as a priority in the 1990s, pushed by the growing use of automobiles and industrialization. The country has a 68,732 km (42,708 mi) network of roads, of which 2,000 km (1,240 mi) are part of 44 ]s. | |||
The two principal metropolitan areas have subway systems: ] and Metro Sul do Tejo (in final stages of completion) in Lisbon and ] in Porto, each with more than 35 km (22 mi) of lines. Construction of a high-speed ] line connecting Porto with Lisbon and Lisbon with Madrid will begin in 2008; it will replace the ]s. ] will replace the present Lisbon airport. Currently, the most important airports are in ], ], ], ] (]), and ] (]). | |||
Portugal has one of the highest ] penetration rates in the ] (the number of operative mobile phones already exceeds the population). As of October 2006, 36.8% of households had high-speed Internet services and 78% of companies had Internet access. Most Portuguese watch television through cable (June 2004: 73.6% of households). | |||
==Demographics== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main article: "Demographics of Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
{{main|Demographics of Portugal}} | |||
]'s downtown]] | |||
The country is fairly homogeneous linguistically and religiously. Native ] are ethnically a combination of pre-Roman ] and ] with some ], ], and ] influences, among other minor contributions. | |||
In the 2001 census, the population was 10,356,117, of which 51.7% was female. By the end of 2003, legal ] represented 4.2% of the population, and the largest communities were from ], ], ], ], and ], with other immigrants from parts of ] and ]. The great majority of Portuguese are ]. The biggest metropolitan areas are ], ], ], ], ] and ]. | |||
Portugal, long a country of emigration, has now become a country of net immigration, and not just from the former ]n and ]n ]. Today, many ] (especially ], ], ] and ]), as well as ]ians, are making Portugal their home. There is a rapidly growing community of ] and a notable number of ], who are descendants of Chinese and Portuguese settlers, with some ] and ]. | |||
==Education== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main articles: "Education in Portugal" and "Higher education in Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
], ]]] | |||
{{main|Education in Portugal|Higher education in Portugal}} | |||
The educational system is divided into preschool (for those under age 6), basic education (9 years, in three stages, ]), ] (3 years), and ] (] and ]). | |||
Portuguese universities have existed since ]. The ] was first established in ] before moving to ]. Universities are usually organized into ]. Institutes and schools are also common designations for autonomous subdivisions of ], and are always used in the polytechnical system. The ] has been adopted since 2006 by many universities and polytechnical institutes. | |||
==Law== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main article: "Portuguese Legal System", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
{{main|Portuguese Legal System}} | |||
The ] is part of the civil law legal system, also called the continental family legal system. Until the end of the ], ] law was the main influence. Since then the major influence has been ]. The main laws include the ] (1976, as amended), the ] (1966, as amended) and the ] (1982, as amended). Other relevant laws are the ''Commercial Code'' (1888, as amended) and the ''Civil Procedure Code'' (1961, as amended). Portuguese law applied in the former ] and continues to be the major influence for those countries. | |||
==Religion== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main article: "Religion in Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
], ]]] | |||
{{main|Religion in Portugal}} | |||
Portuguese society is overwhelmingly ]. Approximately 97% of the population consider themselves Roman Catholic , but only about one-third attend mass and take the sacraments regularly. Yet a larger number wish to be baptized, married in the church, and receive last rites. | |||
The practice of religion shows striking ] differences. Even in the ], 60% to 70% of the population in the north regularly attended religious services, compared with 10% to 15% in the historically ] south. In the greater ] area, about 30% were regular churchgoers. | |||
The sanctuary of ], in ], has great religious significance for many ] around the world. | |||
==Culture== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main article: "Culture of Portugal", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
{{main|Culture of Portugal}} | |||
], ]]] | |||
Portugal has developed a specific culture while being influenced by various civilizations that have crossed the Mediterranean and the European continent, or were introduced when it played an active role during the ]. | |||
], one of the earliest Western literatures, developed through text and song. Until 1350, the ] ]s spread their literary influence to most of the Iberian Peninsula.<ref> ''Poesia e Prosa Medievais'', p. 9, para. 4</ref> ] (ca. 1465 - ca. 1536), was one of the founders of both Portuguese and Spanish dramatic traditions. Adventurer and poet ] (ca. 1524-1580) wrote the epic poem '']'', with ]'s ] as his main influence. Modern Portuguese poetry is rooted in neoclassic and contemporary styles, as exemplified by ] (1888–1935). Modern literature is internationally known through the works of ], ], ], ], ], and ] ] winner, ], and others. | |||
], ]]] | |||
] encompasses a wide variety of genres. The most renowned is ], a melancholy urban music, usually associated with the ] and ''saudade'', or longing. ], a unique type of fado, is also noteworthy. Internationally notable performers include ], ], ], ], and ]. One of the most notable Portuguese musical groups outside the country, and specially in ], is the goth-metal band ]. In addition to fado and folk, the Portuguese listen to pop and other types of modern music. Bands with international recognition include ] and ], both of which were nominated for an ]. Portugal has several summer music festivals, like ''Festival do Sudoeste'' in ], ''Festival de Paredes de Coura'' in ], and '']'' in ]. Out of the summer season, Portugal has a large number of festivals, designed more to an urban audience, like Flowfest or Hip Hop Porto. Furthermore, one of the largest international ] festivals takes place in northern Portugal every two years. | |||
]'' (Music House), ]]] | |||
It has also a rich history in what painting is concerned. The first well-known painters date back to the XV century – like ] - were part of the Gothic painting period. | |||
], known for his work ''Fado'', and ] (who painted the portraits of ] and ]) were both references in naturalist painting. | |||
The 20th century saw the arrival of ], and along with it came the most prominent Portuguese painters: ], who was heavily influenced by French painters, particularly by the ]. Among his best known works is ''Canção Popular a Russa e o Fígaro''. Another great modernist painter/writer was ], friend to the poet ], who painted his (Pessoa’s) portrait. He was deeply influenced by both ] and ] trends. Prominent international figures in visual arts nowadays include painters ], ], and ]. | |||
Traditional architecture is distinctive. Modern Portugal has given the world renowned architects ] and ]. Internally, ] is also noteworthy. | |||
Since the 1990s, Portugal has increased the number of public cultural facilities, in addition to the ] established in 1956. These include the ] in Lisbon, ] and the ], both in ]. | |||
==Cuisine== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main articles: "Portuguese cuisine" and "Portuguese wine", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
]'' (cream custards)]] | |||
{{main|Portuguese Cuisine|Portuguese Wine}} | |||
Portuguese cuisine is diverse. The Portuguese love dry ] ('']'' in Portuguese), for which there are hundreds of ]. Two other popular fish recipes are grilled ] and ]. Typical Portuguese meat recipes, that may take ], ], ], or ], include ], ], ], and ]. Typical ] dishes include the ] from Porto, and ''bifanas'' (grilled pork), ''prego'' (grilled beef) or ''leitão'' (]) ] which are well known around the country. The Portuguese art of ] has its origins in ancient recipes of which ] from Lisbon (also known as ]) and ] from Aveiro are good examples. | |||
Portuguese wines have deserved international recognition since the times of the Roman Empire, which associated Portugal with their God ]. Today the country is known by wine lovers and its wines have won several international prizes. Some of the best Portuguese wines are: ], ], ], ], ], ] and the sweet: ], ] and the ] from ] and ]. Port Wine is well known around the world and the most widely exported Portuguese wine. | |||
==Sports and Games== | |||
<!-- If you want to expand this section, please add new info into the main article: "Culture of Portugal#Sports and games", your work there will be very appreciated. --> | |||
{{main|Culture of Portugal#Sports and games}} | |||
] fans supporting the ]]] | |||
] is the most known, loved and practiced sport. The legendary ] is still a major symbol of Portuguese football history. ] was one of the world's top players of his generation, along other contemporary players like ], ], and ]. ], ], and ], are among the Portuguese-born most widely known top players currently active in professional football and the ]. | |||
The ], ''Selecção Nacional'', has won two ]s and several other ] youth championships. After a third place in the ], they finished in fourth place at the ]. In addition, they finished second in ], their best result in this competition to date. | |||
], ], and ] are the largest ], often known as "''os três grandes''" (]). In football, S.L. Benfica has played in the ] final (then the UEFA Champions Cup) seven times and has two titles, F.C. Porto also has two titles in that competition and a ]. S.L. Benfica is the most popular club in Portugal with more than 160,000 affiliates and is recognised by the ] as the club with the most affiliates in the world. Sporting Clube de Portugal has won a European ]. Other than football, many Portuguese sports clubs, including the "the big three", compete in several other sports events with a varying level of success and popularity. | |||
], World Cup winner in triathlon]] | |||
Portugal has a successful ] team, with 15 ] and 20 ], making it the country with more wins in both competitions. The most important Portuguese hockey clubs in the European championships are ], ], and ]. | |||
The ] have not yet qualified for a ], but are very close to entering ]. The Portuguese national team of ] is also strong, becoming one of the strongest teams, proving their status as European champions. | |||
] again won two European gold medals in the 100 m and the 200 m in 2006, having already received gold and silver medals in 2004 and a silver in the ]. ] is a European elite athlete in ] and ]. | |||
In the ], ], three times European champion in elite sub-23, won the silver medal in the World Championships and became the winner of 2006's World Cup by winning 12 consecutive Grand Prix (world record tied). | |||
== International rankings == | |||
===Political and economic rankings=== | |||
* ] ratings - Free; political rights and civil liberties both rated 1 (the highest score available) | |||
** ] - 10th freest, at 3.00 | |||
* ] - 37th highest, at ]19,335 | |||
* ] - 28th highest, at 0.904 | |||
* ] - 59th most equal, at 38.5 (]) | |||
* ] - 48th lowest, at 6.50% | |||
* ] - 26th least corrupt, at 6.6 on index | |||
* ] - 30th freest, at 2.29 on index | |||
===Health rankings=== | |||
* ]- 164th most fertile, at 1.47 per woman | |||
** ] - 159th most births, at 10.72 per 1000 people | |||
* ] - 58th highest death rate, at 10.43 per 1000 people | |||
* ] - 33rd highest, at 77.53 years | |||
** ] - 40th highest suicide rate, at 18.9 for males and 4.9 for females | |||
* ] - 80th most cases, at 0.41% | |||
===Other rankings=== | |||
* ] - 66th highest emissions, at 5.6 tonnes per capita | |||
* ] - 44th highest consumption of electricity, at 44,010,000,000 kWh | |||
* ] - 21st highest uptake in ], at 11.5% | |||
* ] - 20th highest, at 59.6 litres per capita | |||
==Facts and figures== | |||
*Official ]: YYYY/MM/DD (ex. 2006/09/08) | |||
*Common ]: DD/MM/YYYY (ex. 06/09/2006), dates are written out as ''DD de MM de YYYY'' (ex. ''18 de Agosto de 2005'') | |||
*] separator is a comma: 123,45 | |||
*Thousands are officially separated by a space — 10 000 — although the point is still used — 10.000. | |||
*The currency is the ], abbreviation ], divided into 100 ''cêntimos'' (main article: ]) | |||
*The euro sign is commonly placed either before or after the amount, with the separator either a comma or a point: 10,95 € - € 10,95 - € 10.95 - 10.95 € | |||
*Postal code: 4+3 digits, separated by a hyphen (main article: ]). | |||
*Royal Family bloodline found: King Martinez the V, last Portugese King | |||
==See also== | |||
{{PortugalPortal}} | |||
{{Portugal topics}} | |||
== Notes == | |||
=== References === | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
=== Sources === | |||
{{sourcesstart}} | |||
* Ribeiro, Ângelo & Saraiva, José Hermano ''História de Portugal I - A Formação do Território'' QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-106-6) | |||
* Ribeiro, Ângelo & Saraiva, José Hermano ''História de Portugal II - A Afirmação do País'' QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-107-4) | |||
* de Macedo, Newton & Saraiva, José Hermano ''História de Portugal III - A Epopeia dos Descobrimentos'' QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-108-2) | |||
* de Macedo, Newton & Saraiva, José Hermano ''História de Portugal IV - Glória e Declínio do Império'' QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-109-0) | |||
* Ribeiro, Ângelo & Saraiva, José Hermano ''História de Portugal V - A Restauração da Indepêndencia'' QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-110-4) | |||
* Saraiva, José Hermano ''História de Portugal X - A Terceira República'' QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-115-5) | |||
* Loução, Paulo Alexandre: ''Portugal, Terra de Mistérios'' Ésquilo, 2000 (third edition; ISBN 972-8605-04-8) | |||
* Muñoz, Mauricio Pasto: ''Viriato, A Luta pela Liberdade'' Ésquilo, 2003 (third edition; ISBN 972-8605-23-4) | |||
* ''Grande Enciclopédia Universal'' Durclub, 2004 | |||
* ''Constituição da República Portuguesa'', VI Revisão Constitucional, 2004 | |||
* ''Programa do Movimento das Forças Armadas'', 1974 | |||
{{sourcesend}} | |||
==External links== | |||
{{sisterlinks|Portugal}}<!--Please discuss links on the talk page before adding them to this list - remember to read the WP:EL guidelines.--> | |||
*{{en icon}} | |||
*{{en icon}} | |||
*{{en icon}} | |||
*{{en icon}} | |||
{{Portuguese international ties}} | |||
{{NavigationBox | |||
|Title = Geographic navigations | |||
|List = | |||
{{Countries of Europe}} | |||
{{Atlantic Ocean}} | |||
}} | |||
{{NavigationBox | |||
|Title = International organizations | |||
|List = | |||
{{EU members}} | |||
{{Council of Europe members}} | |||
{{NATO}} | |||
{{OECD}} | |||
{{CPLP}} | |||
{{WTO}} | |||
}} | |||
{{NavigationBox | |||
|Title = Others | |||
|List = | |||
{{MSG:Latinunion}} | |||
{{Latin Europe}} | |||
}} | |||
<!--Other languages--> | |||
<!--Categories--> | |||
] <!--Please do not remove this article from the top of its own category--> | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
{{Link FA|de}} | |||
{{Link FA|is}} | |||
{{Link FA|vi}} | |||
<!--Interwiki--> | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] |
Revision as of 19:30, 28 February 2007
Portuguese RepublicRepública Portuguesa | |
---|---|
Flag Coat of arms of Portugal Coat of arms | |
Anthem: A Portuguesa | |
Location of Portugal (dark orange) – in the European Union (light orange) | |
Capitaland largest city | Lisbon |
Official languages | Portuguese |
Government | Parliamentary democracy |
• President | Aníbal Cavaco Silva |
• Prime Minister | José Sócrates |
Formation 868 | |
• Independence | 24 June 1128 |
• Kingdom | 25 July 1139 |
• Recognized | 5 October 1143 |
• Republic | 11 October 1910 |
• Water (%) | 0.5 |
Population | |
• July 2006 estimate | 10,605,870 (75th) |
• 2001 census | 10,148,259 |
GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
• Total | $203.381 billion (41st) |
• Per capita | $19,335 (37th) |
HDI (2004) | 0.904 Error: Invalid HDI value (28th) |
Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
Time zone | WET |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (WEST) |
Calling code | 351 |
ISO 3166 code | PT |
Internet TLD | .pt |
Mirandese, spoken in some villages of the municipality of Miranda do Douro, was officially recognized in 1999 (Lei n.º 7/99 de 29 de Janeiro), since then awarding an official right-of-use Mirandese to the linguistic minority it is concerned. The Portuguese Sign Language is also recognized. Prior to 1999: Portuguese escudo. Azores: UTC-1; UTC in summer. The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states. |
38°42′N 9°11′W / 38.700°N 9.183°W / 38.700; -9.183 Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; pron. IPA ), located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, is the westernmost country of mainland Europe. Portugal is bordered by Spain to the north and east and by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are also part of Portugal.
The territory which forms the modern Portuguese Republic has witnessed a constant flow of civilizations during the past 3,100 years, since the earlier pre-Roman inhabitants, to the Roman, Germanic, and Moorish peoples who made an imprint on the country's culture, history, language, and ethnic composition. During the 15th and 16th centuries, with its vast transcontinental empire, Portugal was one of the world's major economic, political, and cultural powers. A developed country, Portugal is a member of the European Union (since 1986), the United Nations (since 1955), and a founding member of the Eurozone, OECD, and NATO.
History
Main article: History of PortugalThe early history of Portugal is shared with the rest of the Iberian peninsula. The region was visited by Phoenicians and Carthaginians, settled by Celts, incorporated in the Roman empire (as Lusitania in 138 BC), settled again by Suevi, Buri and Visigoths and conquered by Muslims. In 868, during the Reconquista, the County of Portugal was formed. A victory over the Muslims at Ourique in 1139 is traditionally taken as the occasion when Portugal is transformed from a county into an independent kingdom.
In fact, Portugal came into existence as an independent nation on June 24 1128, when Afonso Henriques, Count of Portugal, defeated his mother, Countess Teresa, and her lover, Fernão Peres de Trava, in battle - thereby establishing himself as sole leader. Afonso Henriques proclaimed himself king of Portugal on July 25, 1139, after the Battle of Ourique and was recognized as such in 1143 by Alfonso VII, king of León and Castile, and in 1179 by Pope Alexander III.
Afonso and his successors, aided by military monastic orders, pushed southward to drive out the Moors, as the size of Portugal covered about half of its present area. In 1249, this Reconquista ended with the capture of the Algarve on the southern coast, giving Portugal its present day borders, with minor exceptions.
In 1373, Portugal made an alliance with England, which is the longest-standing alliance in the world.
In 1383, the king of Castile, husband of the daughter of the Portuguese king who had died without a male heir, claimed his throne. An ensuing popular revolt led to the 1383-1385 Crisis. A faction of petty noblemen and commoners, led by John of Aviz (later John I), seconded by General Nuno Álvares Pereira, defeated the Castilians in the Battle of Aljubarrota. This celebrated battle is still a symbol of glory and the struggle for independence from neighboring Spain.
In the following decades, Portugal spearheaded the exploration of the world and undertook the Age of Discovery. Prince Henry the Navigator, son of King João I, became the main sponsor and patron of this endeavor.
In 1415, the Portuguese empire arose when a fleet conquered Ceuta, a prosperous Islamic trade center in North Africa. There followed the first discoveries in the Atlantic: Madeira and the Azores, which led to the first colonization movements.
Throughout the 15th century, Portuguese explorers sailed the coast of Africa, establishing trading posts as they looked for a route to India and its spices, which were coveted in Europe. In 1498, Vasco da Gama finally reached India and brought economic prosperity to Portugal and its then population of one million residents.
In 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral landed in Brazil and claimed it for Portugal. Ten years later, Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa, in India, Ormuz in the Persian Strait, and Malacca in what is now Malaysia. Thus, the Portuguese empire held dominion over commerce in the Indian Ocean and South Atlantic.
Portugal's independence was interrupted between 1580 and 1640. Because the heirless King Sebastian died in battle in Morocco, Philip II of Spain claimed his throne and so became Philip I of Portugal. Although Portugal did not lose its formal independence, it was governed by the same monarch who governed Spain, briefly forming a union of kingdoms; in 1640, John IV spearheaded an uprising backed by disgruntled nobles and was proclaimed king. This was the beginning of the long-lived dynasty of Braganza.
By this time, however, the Portuguese empire was already under attack from other countries, specifically Britain and the Netherlands. Portugal began a slow but inexorable decline until the 20th century. This decline was hastened by the independence in 1822 of the country's largest colonial possession, Brazil.
In 1910, a revolution deposed the Portuguese monarchy, but chaos continued and considerable economic problems were aggravated by the military intervention in the First World War, which led to a military coup d'état in 1926. This in turn led to the establishment of a right-wing dictatorship by António de Oliveira Salazar.
In the early 1960s, independence movements in the colonies of Angola, Mozambique, and Portuguese Guinea resulted in the Portuguese Colonial War. In 1974, a bloodless left-wing military coup known as the Carnation Revolution led the way for a modern democracy as well as the independence of the last colonies in Africa shortly after. Portugal joined the European Union in 1986, and ever since it has engaged in a process of convergence with its EU counterparts.
Government and Politics
Unlike its eastern neighbor Spain, which is a constitutional monarchy; Portugal is a democratic republic ruled by the constitution of 1976 with Lisbon, the nation's largest city, as its capital. The four main governing components are the president of the republic, the assembly of the republic, the government, and the courts. The constitution grants the complete separation of powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
The president, who is elected to a five-year term, has a supervising, nonexecutive role. The Assembly of the Republic is a unicameral parliament composed of 230 deputies elected for four-year terms.
The government is headed by the prime minister, who chooses the Council of Ministers, comprising all the ministers and the respective state secretaries. The national and regional governments, and the Portuguese parliament, are dominated by two political parties, the Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party. Minority parties CDU (Portuguese Communist Party plus Ecologist Party "The Greens"), Bloco de Esquerda (Left Bloc) and CDS-PP (People's Party) are also represented in the parliament and local governments.
The courts are organized into categories, including judicial, administrative, and fiscal. The supreme courts are the courts of last appeal. A thirteen-member constitutional court oversees the constitutionality of legislation.
Foreign Relations and Military
Main articles: Foreign Relations of Portugal and Military of PortugalPortugal has been a member of NATO since 1949, the European Union since 1986, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries since 1996. It has a friendship alliance and dual citizenship treaty with Brazil. It has good relations with the United States, the United Kingdom and China (due to Macau), as well as the other European Union countries.
The only international dispute concerns the municipality of Olivença, which Spain received in 1801 under the Treaty of Badajoz and has since administered. Portugal claimed it in 1815 under the Treaty of Vienna. Nevertheless, diplomatic relations between the two countries are cordial.
The armed forces have three branches: Army, Navy, and Air Force. In the 20th century, Portugal engaged in two major military interventions: the First Great War and the Colonial War (1961-1974). Portugal has participated in peacekeeping missions in East Timor, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq (Nasiriyah), and Lebanon.
Administrative Divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of PortugalPortugal has an administrative structure of 308 municipalities (Portuguese singular/plural: concelho/concelhos), which are subdivided into more than 4,000 parishes (freguesia/freguesias). Municipalities are grouped for administrative purposes into superior units. For continental Portugal the municipalities are gathered in 18 Districts, while the Islands have a Regional Government directly above them. Thus, the largest unit of classification are the ones established since 1976 into either mainland Portugal (Portugal Continental) or the autonomous regions of Portugal (Azores and Madeira).
Geography and Climate
Main articles: Geography of Portugal and Conservation areas of PortugalThe climate can be classified as Oceanic in the north and Mediterranean in the south. One of the warmest European countries, yearly temperature averages in mainland Portugal are 13°C (55°F) in the north and 18°C (64°F) in the south. The Madeira and Azores Atlantic archipelagos have a narrower temperature range. Spring and summer are sunny, whereas autumn and winter are rainy and windy.
Mainland Portugal is split by its main river, the Tagus. The northern landscape is mountainous in interior areas, with plateaus indented by river valleys. The south, between the Tagus and the Algarve (the Alentejo), features mostly rolling plains and a climate somewhat warmer and drier than in the cooler and rainier north. The Algarve, separated from the Alentejo by mountains, enjoys a Mediterranean climate like southern Spain. Snow is usual in the northern half of the country, around the 40 N parallel. It is a rare event in the south, but it does happen.
The islands of the Azores and Madeira are located in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Some islands have had volcanic activity as recently as 1957. Portugal's highest point is Mount Pico on Pico Island. It is an ancient volcano measuring 2,351 m (7,713 ft).
Economy
Main article: Economy of PortugalPortugal joined the European Union in 1986 and started a process of modernization within the framework of a stable environment. It has achieved a healthy level of growth. Successive governments have implemented reforms and privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy. Portugal was one of the founding countries of the euro in 1999.
Major industries include oil refineries, automotive, cement production, pulp and paper industry, textile, footwear, furniture, and cork (the world's leading producer). Agriculture no longer represents the bulk of the economy, but Portuguese wines, namely Port Wine (named after the country's second largest city, Porto) and Madeira Wine (named after Madeira Island), are exported worldwide. Tourism is also important, especially in the Algarve and Madeira Islands.
The Global Competitiveness Report for 2005, published by the World Economic Forum, places Portugal on the 22nd position, ahead of countries like Spain, Ireland, France, Belgium and Hong Kong. This table shows that Portugal has stepped two places regarding the 2004 ranking. On the Technology index, Portugal was ranked 20th and on the Public Institutions index Portugal is the 15th best.
A research about standard of living by Economist Intelligence Unit or EIU Quality-of-life Survey places Portugal as the 20th country with best quality of life in the world.
Energy, Transportation and Communications
Main articles: Transportation in Portugal and Communications in PortugalIn 2006 the world's largest solar power plant began operating in the nation's sunny south while the world's first commercial wave power farm opened in October 2006 in the Norte region. As of 2006, 55% of electricity production was from coal and fuel power plants. The other 40% was produced by hydroelectrics and 5% by wind energy. The government is channeling $3.8 billion into developing renewable energy sources over the next five years.
Portugal wants renewable energy sources like solar, wind and wave power to account for nearly half of the electricity consumed in the country by 2010. "This new goal will place Portugal in the frontline of renewable energy and make it, along with Austria and Sweden, one of the three nations that most invest in this sector", Prime Minister Jose Socrates said.
Transportation was seen as a priority in the 1990s, pushed by the growing use of automobiles and industrialization. The country has a 68,732 km (42,708 mi) network of roads, of which 2,000 km (1,240 mi) are part of 44 motorways.
The two principal metropolitan areas have subway systems: Lisbon Metro and Metro Sul do Tejo (in final stages of completion) in Lisbon and Porto Metro in Porto, each with more than 35 km (22 mi) of lines. Construction of a high-speed TGV line connecting Porto with Lisbon and Lisbon with Madrid will begin in 2008; it will replace the Pendolinos. Ota Airport will replace the present Lisbon airport. Currently, the most important airports are in Lisbon, Faro, Porto, Funchal (Madeira), and Ponta Delgada (Azores).
Portugal has one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the world (the number of operative mobile phones already exceeds the population). As of October 2006, 36.8% of households had high-speed Internet services and 78% of companies had Internet access. Most Portuguese watch television through cable (June 2004: 73.6% of households).
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of PortugalThe country is fairly homogeneous linguistically and religiously. Native Portuguese are ethnically a combination of pre-Roman Iberians and Celtics with some Roman, Germanic, and Moorish influences, among other minor contributions.
In the 2001 census, the population was 10,356,117, of which 51.7% was female. By the end of 2003, legal immigrants represented 4.2% of the population, and the largest communities were from Ukraine, Romania, Brazil, Cape Verde, and Angola, with other immigrants from parts of Latin America and Eastern Europe. The great majority of Portuguese are Roman Catholic. The biggest metropolitan areas are Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Coimbra, Setúbal and Aveiro.
Portugal, long a country of emigration, has now become a country of net immigration, and not just from the former Indian and African colonies. Today, many Eastern Europeans (especially Ukrainians, Moldavians, Romanians and Russians), as well as Brazilians, are making Portugal their home. There is a rapidly growing community of Chinese and a notable number of Macanese, who are descendants of Chinese and Portuguese settlers, with some Malays and Indians.
Education
Main articles: Education in Portugal and Higher education in PortugalThe educational system is divided into preschool (for those under age 6), basic education (9 years, in three stages, compulsory), secondary education (3 years), and higher education (university and polytechnic).
Portuguese universities have existed since 1290. The oldest Portuguese university was first established in Lisbon before moving to Coimbra. Universities are usually organized into faculties. Institutes and schools are also common designations for autonomous subdivisions of Portuguese higher education institutions, and are always used in the polytechnical system. The Bologna process has been adopted since 2006 by many universities and polytechnical institutes.
Law
Main article: Portuguese Legal SystemThe Portuguese legal system is part of the civil law legal system, also called the continental family legal system. Until the end of the 19th century, French law was the main influence. Since then the major influence has been German law. The main laws include the Constitution (1976, as amended), the Civil Code (1966, as amended) and the Penal Code (1982, as amended). Other relevant laws are the Commercial Code (1888, as amended) and the Civil Procedure Code (1961, as amended). Portuguese law applied in the former colonies and territories and continues to be the major influence for those countries.
Religion
Main article: Religion in PortugalPortuguese society is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. Approximately 97% of the population consider themselves Roman Catholic , but only about one-third attend mass and take the sacraments regularly. Yet a larger number wish to be baptized, married in the church, and receive last rites.
The practice of religion shows striking regional differences. Even in the 1990s, 60% to 70% of the population in the north regularly attended religious services, compared with 10% to 15% in the historically anti-clerical south. In the greater Lisbon area, about 30% were regular churchgoers.
The sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, in Fátima, Portugal, has great religious significance for many Catholics around the world.
Culture
Main article: Culture of PortugalPortugal has developed a specific culture while being influenced by various civilizations that have crossed the Mediterranean and the European continent, or were introduced when it played an active role during the Age of Discovery.
Portuguese literature, one of the earliest Western literatures, developed through text and song. Until 1350, the Portuguese-Galician troubadours spread their literary influence to most of the Iberian Peninsula. Gil Vicente (ca. 1465 - ca. 1536), was one of the founders of both Portuguese and Spanish dramatic traditions. Adventurer and poet Luís de Camões (ca. 1524-1580) wrote the epic poem The Lusiads, with Vergil's Aeneid as his main influence. Modern Portuguese poetry is rooted in neoclassic and contemporary styles, as exemplified by Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935). Modern literature is internationally known through the works of Almeida Garrett, Camilo Castelo Branco, Eça de Queirós, Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, António Lobo Antunes, and 1998 Nobel Prize winner, José Saramago, and others.
Portuguese music encompasses a wide variety of genres. The most renowned is fado, a melancholy urban music, usually associated with the Portuguese guitar and saudade, or longing. Coimbra fado, a unique type of fado, is also noteworthy. Internationally notable performers include Amália Rodrigues, Carlos Paredes, Mariza, Mísia, and Madredeus. One of the most notable Portuguese musical groups outside the country, and specially in Germany, is the goth-metal band Moonspell. In addition to fado and folk, the Portuguese listen to pop and other types of modern music. Bands with international recognition include Blasted Mechanism and The Gift, both of which were nominated for an MTV Music Award. Portugal has several summer music festivals, like Festival do Sudoeste in Zambujeira do Mar, Festival de Paredes de Coura in Paredes de Coura, and Rock in Rio Lisboa in Lisbon. Out of the summer season, Portugal has a large number of festivals, designed more to an urban audience, like Flowfest or Hip Hop Porto. Furthermore, one of the largest international Goa trance festivals takes place in northern Portugal every two years.
It has also a rich history in what painting is concerned. The first well-known painters date back to the XV century – like Nuno Gonçalves - were part of the Gothic painting period. José Malhoa, known for his work Fado, and Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro (who painted the portraits of Teófilo Braga and Antero de Quental) were both references in naturalist painting.
The 20th century saw the arrival of Modernism, and along with it came the most prominent Portuguese painters: Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, who was heavily influenced by French painters, particularly by the Delaunays. Among his best known works is Canção Popular a Russa e o Fígaro. Another great modernist painter/writer was Almada Negreiros, friend to the poet Fernando Pessoa, who painted his (Pessoa’s) portrait. He was deeply influenced by both Cubist and Futurist trends. Prominent international figures in visual arts nowadays include painters Vieira da Silva, Júlio Pomar, and Paula Rego. Traditional architecture is distinctive. Modern Portugal has given the world renowned architects Eduardo Souto de Moura and Álvaro Siza Vieira. Internally, Tomás Taveira is also noteworthy.
Since the 1990s, Portugal has increased the number of public cultural facilities, in addition to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation established in 1956. These include the Belém Cultural Center in Lisbon, Serralves Foundation and the Casa da Música, both in Porto.
Cuisine
Main articles: Portuguese Cuisine and Portuguese WinePortuguese cuisine is diverse. The Portuguese love dry cod (bacalhau in Portuguese), for which there are hundreds of recipes. Two other popular fish recipes are grilled sardines and caldeirada. Typical Portuguese meat recipes, that may take beef, pork, lamb, or chicken, include feijoada, cozido à portuguesa, frango de churrasco, and carne de porco à alentejana. Typical fast food dishes include the francesinha from Porto, and bifanas (grilled pork), prego (grilled beef) or leitão (piglet) sandwiches which are well known around the country. The Portuguese art of pastry has its origins in ancient recipes of which pastéis de Belém from Lisbon (also known as pastéis de nata) and ovos-moles from Aveiro are good examples.
Portuguese wines have deserved international recognition since the times of the Roman Empire, which associated Portugal with their God Bacchus. Today the country is known by wine lovers and its wines have won several international prizes. Some of the best Portuguese wines are: Vinho Verde, Vinho Alvarinho, Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Dão, Vinho da Bairrada and the sweet: Port Wine, Madeira Wine and the Moscatel from Setúbal and Favaios. Port Wine is well known around the world and the most widely exported Portuguese wine.
Sports and Games
Main article: Culture of Portugal § Sports and gamesFootball is the most known, loved and practiced sport. The legendary Eusébio is still a major symbol of Portuguese football history. Luís Figo was one of the world's top players of his generation, along other contemporary players like Rui Costa, Paulo Sousa, and Fernando Couto. Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma, and Simão Sabrosa, are among the Portuguese-born most widely known top players currently active in professional football and the national football team.
The Portuguese national team, Selecção Nacional, has won two FIFA World Youth Championships and several other UEFA youth championships. After a third place in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, they finished in fourth place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In addition, they finished second in Euro 2004, their best result in this competition to date.
S.L. Benfica, Sporting Clube de Portugal, and F.C. Porto are the largest sports clubs, often known as "os três grandes" ("the big three"). In football, S.L. Benfica has played in the UEFA Champions League final (then the UEFA Champions Cup) seven times and has two titles, F.C. Porto also has two titles in that competition and a UEFA Cup. S.L. Benfica is the most popular club in Portugal with more than 160,000 affiliates and is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the club with the most affiliates in the world. Sporting Clube de Portugal has won a European Cup Winners' Cup. Other than football, many Portuguese sports clubs, including the "the big three", compete in several other sports events with a varying level of success and popularity.
Portugal has a successful rink hockey team, with 15 world titles and 20 european titles, making it the country with more wins in both competitions. The most important Portuguese hockey clubs in the European championships are F.C. Porto, S.L. Benfica, and Óquei de Barcelos.
The national rugby union team have not yet qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but are very close to entering France 2007. The Portuguese national team of Rugby Sevens is also strong, becoming one of the strongest teams, proving their status as European champions.
Francis Obikwelu again won two European gold medals in the 100 m and the 200 m in 2006, having already received gold and silver medals in 2004 and a silver in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Naide Gomes is a European elite athlete in pentathlon and long jump.
In the triathlon, Vanessa Fernandes, three times European champion in elite sub-23, won the silver medal in the World Championships and became the winner of 2006's World Cup by winning 12 consecutive Grand Prix (world record tied).
International rankings
Political and economic rankings
- Political freedom ratings - Free; political rights and civil liberties both rated 1 (the highest score available)
- Press freedom - 10th freest, at 3.00
- GDP per capita - 37th highest, at I$19,335
- Human Development Index - 28th highest, at 0.904
- Income Equality - 59th most equal, at 38.5 (Gini Index)
- Unemployment rate - 48th lowest, at 6.50%
- Corruption - 26th least corrupt, at 6.6 on index
- Economic Freedom - 30th freest, at 2.29 on index
Health rankings
- Fertility rate- 164th most fertile, at 1.47 per woman
- Birth rate - 159th most births, at 10.72 per 1000 people
- Death rate - 58th highest death rate, at 10.43 per 1000 people
- Life Expectancy - 33rd highest, at 77.53 years
- Suicide Rate - 40th highest suicide rate, at 18.9 for males and 4.9 for females
- HIV/AIDS rate - 80th most cases, at 0.41%
Other rankings
- CO2 emissions - 66th highest emissions, at 5.6 tonnes per capita
- Electricity Consumption - 44th highest consumption of electricity, at 44,010,000,000 kWh
- Broadband uptake - 21st highest uptake in OECD, at 11.5%
- Beer consumption - 20th highest, at 59.6 litres per capita
Facts and figures
- Official date format: YYYY/MM/DD (ex. 2006/09/08)
- Common date format: DD/MM/YYYY (ex. 06/09/2006), dates are written out as DD de MM de YYYY (ex. 18 de Agosto de 2005)
- Decimal separator is a comma: 123,45
- Thousands are officially separated by a space — 10 000 — although the point is still used — 10.000.
- The currency is the euro, abbreviation €, divided into 100 cêntimos (main article: Linguistic issues concerning the euro#Portuguese)
- The euro sign is commonly placed either before or after the amount, with the separator either a comma or a point: 10,95 € - € 10,95 - € 10.95 - 10.95 €
- Postal code: 4+3 digits, separated by a hyphen (main article: Postal code#Portugal).
- Royal Family bloodline found: King Martinez the V, last Portugese King
See also
Notes
References
- The Euromosaic study, Mirandese in Portugal, europa.eu - European Commission website, accessed January 2007
- Grande Enciclopédia Universal, p. 10543, "Portugal", para. 4
- Poesia e Prosa Medievais, p. 9, para. 4
Sources
- Ribeiro, Ângelo & Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal I - A Formação do Território QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-106-6)
- Ribeiro, Ângelo & Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal II - A Afirmação do País QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-107-4)
- de Macedo, Newton & Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal III - A Epopeia dos Descobrimentos QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-108-2)
- de Macedo, Newton & Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal IV - Glória e Declínio do Império QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-109-0)
- Ribeiro, Ângelo & Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal V - A Restauração da Indepêndencia QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-110-4)
- Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal X - A Terceira República QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 989-554-115-5)
- Loução, Paulo Alexandre: Portugal, Terra de Mistérios Ésquilo, 2000 (third edition; ISBN 972-8605-04-8)
- Muñoz, Mauricio Pasto: Viriato, A Luta pela Liberdade Ésquilo, 2003 (third edition; ISBN 972-8605-23-4)
- Grande Enciclopédia Universal Durclub, 2004
- Constituição da República Portuguesa, VI Revisão Constitucional, 2004
- Programa do Movimento das Forças Armadas, 1974
External links
- Template:En icon Official Portuguese Government website
- Template:En icon Official Parliament website
- Template:En icon Official Travel and Tourism office website
- Template:En icon Wikitravel guide to Portugal
Template:Portuguese international ties
Template:Link FA Template:Link FA Template:Link FA
Categories: