Portugal
Introduction to Portugal
Portugal is a country located within Europe right next to Spain. Portugal is on the Iberian peninsula reaching more than 92,090 sq.km. The capital of Portugal is Lisbon. Portugal is full of wide plains and includes many Mediterranean species such as cork oaks, figs, olive trees, and vineyards. Portugal is only south of the Tagus river.
Interesting Facts
#1
Portugal is the oldest country in Europe, Portugal has had the same defined borders since 1139 making it the oldest country in all of Europe. This is the time when King Alfonso Henriques I started ruling
#2
The oldest bookstore in the world in located in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon which is called the Bertrand Bookstore. This bookstore has been opened since 1732.
#3
The Vasco Da Gama bridge is the largest bridge throughout Europe reaching 17 km (11 miles) which was built in 1998 costing at least 1 billion U.S. dollars.
History of the flag
The Portugal flag has 4 main parts. The red section represents the Portuguese revolution of 1910 while the green section represents hope. In the center, there is a coat of arms which is made up of many different parts. There are 5 blue shields which represent the first king of Portugal, Afonso Heriques I, who held a victory of 5 moorish Kings which also represents the five wounds of Christ shaped as a cross on the coat of arms which symbolizes Christianity. The red border with seven castles is supposed to show the extension of Portugal's territory to include the Algarve. Last of all, behind the coat of arms, is a navigational instrument, an armillary sphere which celebrates Prince Henry the navigator who initiated the maritime exploration that led to Portugal's one time colonial empire.
Government & Currency
In Portugal today, the government is a Parliamentary Democracy while the currency are Euros like most countries in Europe but prior, back in 1999 they had always used escudos in Portugal. 1 Euro is equal to 200.48 escudos and 1 U.S. dollar is equal to 0.80 of a Euro.
European Union
Portugal is one of the many countries in Europe included in the EU (European Union) and had joined in 1986. Portugal was not one of the founders of the EU. Also Portugal has never and still isn't part of another country.
Visiting Portugal?
In Portugal you can find a lot of tourism hotspots. One place is the São Jorge castle, the castle of São Jorge. The castle overlooks the historic centre of the Portuguese city of Lisbon and the Tagus river. Besides going to Lisbon, other major cities include Albufeira, Lagos, Funchal, Porto, etc.
Citations
*Flag information: "National Flag of Portugal." Portugal Flag. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.
*Basic Information: "Official Website of the European Union -." EUROPA – EU Website. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.
*Cities: "Portugal Cities Map." , Major Cities in Portugal. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.
*Currency: "CURRENCY IN PORTUGAL." Lisbon Money and Portuguese Currency. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.
*Geography: "Physical Geography." Portugal -. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.