PORTUGAL FACTS AND INFORMATION

·         The name "Portugal" derives from a Roman or pre-Roman settlement called Portus Cale

·         The Douro River is one of the most important in Portugal.

·         Continental Portugal at 35,516 square miles (91,986 square kilometers) occupies approximately a sixth of the Iberian Peninsula. The northwest (the province of Minho) is lush, green, densely populated, and the major source of emigrants. The northeast (the province of Trás-os-Montes) is more mountainous and is divided into a northern region ( terra fria ) with long cold winters and a warmer region ( terra quente ) to the south. The central part (including the provinces of Beira Alta, Beira Baixa, and Beira Litoral) varies from high and desolate mountain plateaus (the Serra da Estrela) to low coastal areas. The provinces of Ribatejo and Estemadura are low-lying regions near Lisbon and the Tagus River. Much industry is concentrated in this area. Southern Portugal, drier and more Mediterranean in climate, includes the provinces of the Alentejo and the Algarve. The Alentejo, an undulating plain with cork trees and wheat fields, was traditionally an important cash-crop area. The Algarve is semitropical with almond, fig, and citrus trees. It is also a region of tourism and fishing.

·         Portuguese inhabit the Azores and Madeira islands in the Atlantic.

·         The two large cities of Lisbon and Porto are both on the coast.

·         The capital is Lisbon. It became the capital in 1298, and is also the political, cultural, economic, educational, and social center.