Presenter & WriterEdvija Jaic

Olá Portugal

Written By: Edvija Jahic

Global Location

As you can tell, Portugal is partially outlined by Spain and the rest is outlined by the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal is in Europe, and is also one of Europe’s oldest nations.

Climate & TerrainEither standing facing the Atlantic Ocean or sitting

close to the Mediterranean sea, Portugal has a mild winter and a warm summer with average

temperatures during the months of June and July rising to 26’C or 78.8’F. Being closer to the coast = the more moderate temperatures you get. Inland, temperatures can be extremely hot, escalating as high as 40’C or 104’F. There are many mountains

north of the Tagus River, and rolling plains in south.

Religious BeliefsPortugal’s religion was found to be

extremely Roman Catholic, according to a common saying, "to be Portuguese is to be Catholic," and approximately 86 percent of the population considered itself Roman Catholic, the highest percentage in Western Europe. But you can find small Christian Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish, Protestant, Mormon and Buddhist communities.

What Portugal is Best Known For

Portugal is famous for many things. Bacalhau, which is salted codfish, is one of the famous foods, as well as Caldo Verde, which is green soup made from thin shreds of tender, deep green cabbage, which is usually cooked with

smoked sausages. Portugal is also famous for its fortified wines, Port and Madeira, and fresh beer.

Some sports that are famous in Portugal are soccer and bullfighting. Cristiano Ronaldo, Luís Figo and Eusébio da Silva Ferreira are some of

the great soccer players.

Portugal’s TraditionsMost Portuguese holidays are

centered around the Christian calendar. The most important holiday

celebrated by the Portuguese is Christmas on December 25th, called

Christmas in Vila Vehla. Their traditional clothing consist of berets,

stocking caps, baggy shirts and trousers for the men and women wore

long dresses and shawls. Children make their own decisions, but

because of their amount of freedom, they aren't allowed to leave the home until they are married and have their

own children.

Christmas Lights in Lisbon, Portugal.

Achievements Portugal has its own theatre

tradition and many small museums and galleries, even in

smaller cities. In 1486, Bartolomeu Dias was the first European to sail around what

was known as the Cape of Storms at the southern tip of

Africa. Afterward it was renamed the Cape of Good Hope. Vasco de Gama was the first European to sail all the way to India in 1497.

Both were from Portugal.

Art Form

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Popular form of Portugal Art is the Azulejo. Azulejos are creamic tiles arranged in order to create colorful paintings with the use of majolica technique.

^Pottery is a very unique art form. In Portugal, you may find silver or even gold in many pieces of pottery.

In this picture, you might be able to notice that the art is on a wall.. On the street. This is called Graffiti Art.