Portugal (Portuguese: puɾtuˈɣal), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa), is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe. It is bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain. Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments.

Portugal is the oldest state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe, its territory having been continuously settled, invaded and fought over since prehistoric times. The Pre-Celts, Celts, Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples.

Portugal as a country was established during the Christian Reconquista against the Moors who had invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD. Despite attempts at independence since its foundation as a county in 868, only after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128, where Portuguese forces led by Afonso Henriques defeated forces led by his mother, Teresa, the County of Portugal affirmed its sovereignty and Afonso styled himself Prince of Portugal. He would later be proclaimed King of Portugal at the Battle of Ourique in 1139 and was recognized as such, by neighboring kingdoms, on the Treaty of Zamora, in 1143.

Demonym	Portuguese
Capital	Lisbon
Anthem	A Portuguesa (The Portuguese)
Official Motto	No official; from 1926 to 1974 it was "Deus, Pátria e Família!" ("God, Country and Family")
Official Flag
Official Language(s)	Portuguese
Approximate Size	Total: 35,603 sq mi (92,212 km2) % Water: 0.5
Population	10,341,330 (2015)
Currency	Euro (EUR €)
Nickname	The City of Seven Hills
Drives	On the Right
International Dialing Code	+351
Sports	The major Portuguese professional sports leagues, championships and events include: • Portuguese Football Championship, Cup of Portugal, Taça da Liga and Supertaça in football. • Portuguese Futsal First Division in futsal. • Portuguese Basketball League in basketball. • Portuguese Roller Hockey First Division in rink hockey. • Portuguese Handball League in handball. • Campeonato Nacional Honra/Super Bock in rugby. • Portuguese Volleyball League A1 in volleyball. • Portuguese Beach Soccer League in beach soccer. • Volta a Portugal in cycling. • Rally of Portugal in motor racing.
Area Facts	What does Portugal's flag represent? Portuguese Flag Meaning: The red section represents the blood of everyone who died for the country . The green represents hope. The white shield consists of five blue shields with five white dots. The blue shields represent the first king of Portugal, D.Afonso Henriques , victory over five Moorish kings and the divine assistance he received to do so is represented by the five dots, which symbolize the five wounds of Christ. Arranged in a cross the shields represent Christianity. The red border featuring seven castles symbolizes the extension of Portugal's territory to include the Algarve. Behind the arms there is a navigational instrument, an armillary sphere. It celebrates Prince Henry the Navigator, who initiated the maritime exploration that led to Portugal's one time colonial empire. What is Portugal's manufacturing? Portugal is a leader in production of cork. Other industries are oil refineries, petrochemistry, cement production, automotive, ship industries, electrical, electronics, machinery, pulp and paper industry, injection moulding, plastic products, textile, footwear, leather, furniture, ceramics, beverages and food industry. What is Portugal's color? The home colors of Sporting Clube de Portugal [Sporting CP] are a green and white striped jersey and the away color is a solid green jersey. What are Portugal's typical foods? Soups: Green Soup (Caldo Verde), Chicken Soup (Canja de galinha), Gaspacho, "Stone Soup" (Sopa da pedra). Fish: Fish Stew (Caldeirada), Cod fish (one thousand different ways), all sorts of grilled fresh fish like Sardine and Horse mackerel. Rice: Duck Rice (Arroz de pato), Seafood Rice (Arroz de Marisco), Cabidela Rice either with poultry or rabbit and it's cooked with the animal's blood (Arroz de Cabidela). Meat: "Cozido à Portuguesa" (different kinds of meat boiled with several vegetables - potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beans), "Feijoada" (Stew of beans with several kinds of meat), "Carne de porco à Alentejana" (Pork, clams and cubed French fries), Roasted lamb, Tripe, Grilled chicken (frango assado). Other dishes or appetizers: Octopus (salad, stew or boiled), Shrimp (Camarão/Gamba), Snails (Caracóis), Lupini beans (Tremoços), "Francesinhas", "Açorda", "Migas", "Couratos" (grilled pork rind), "Pipis", "Moelas", "Iscas", "Torresmo", Clams like Donax and Blue messel. Also a great variety of "Enchidos" (some kind of sausages), Cheeses and Whines. Pastries and desserts: Pastel de Nata, Bola de Berlim, Pão-de-ló, Leite-creme, Arroz Doce (rice pudding), Aletria, Pudim flã, Toucinho do céu, Ovos moles, Torta de Azeitão, Pastel de Belém, Pastel de Feijão, Queijada de Sintra, Sonhos, Fartura/Churro, Rabanada, Coscorões, Bolo-Rei, Chocolate mousse, etc.

Posted By Gremelin Posted on December 17th, 2018

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