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Why Portugal

Portugal is a country rich in history and culture, with a mild, temperate climate, excellent food and wine and friendly, hospitable people. Here are some amazing facts which make Portugal a must visit destination.

  • Portugal has 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • The Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in history, which is probably why the Portuguese language is spoken by about 230 million people around the world and is the official language of 9 countries
  • The world-famous Port wine (also known as “Porto”), a sweet Portuguese fortified wine from the Douro Valley, has been imitated in several countries – notably Australia, South Africa, India and the United States
  • Over half of the world’s cork is produced in Portugal
  • The Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon is the longest bridge in Europe at 17,185 m (56,381 feet)
  • Portugal is one of the world’s top surf spots because of its coastline that spans 497 miles (800 kilometers) and is known to have 364 days of surf!
  • The Festa de São João do Porto is celebrated every year, on the night of 23 June, in the city of Porto. Thousands of people come to the city centre and to the most traditional neighborhoods to pay a tribute to Saint John the Baptist, in a party that mixes sacred and nonreligious traditions
  • In 1761, Portugal was the first colonial power to abolish slavery – half a century before Britain, France, Spain, or the USA
  • Portugal is the only country in the EU, along with Spain, where life imprisonment has been abolished

 

Important Portuguese Personalities:

  • Christiano Ronaldo – Football player
  • Jose Mourinho – Football Coach (Chelsea)
  • Luis Figo – Football player
  • Nelly Furtado – Singer and Songwriter
  • David Lee Roth – Singer
  • Tom Hanks – Actor
  • Carmen Miranda – Actress
  • Sara Sampaio – Model
  • Danielle Steel – Writer

 

Portugal Inventions Include:

  • The ATM system in Portugal, the Multibanco is one of the most advanced in the world and was the first to introduce online banking
  • The pre-paid mobile phone card
  • The Green Lane toll pay system
  • Nautical charts and maps of latitudes
  • The drug Zebinix, an anticonvulsant medication approved for use in Europe and the United States as an adjunctive therapy for epilepsy
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