| The Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa), or Portugal, is a democratic republic located on the west and southwest parts of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe; it is the westernmost
country in continental Europe. Portugal is bordered by Spain to the north and east and by
the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. In addition, Portugal
contains several island territories in the Atlantic, including the Azores (Açores) and Madeira (including the Savage Islands).
A citizen of Portugal is usually identified in English by the
noun and adjective Portuguese, but
someone born in Portugal can also be referred to as Luso or Lusitano (English "Lusitanian").1
Portugal during the past 3000 years has witnessed a constant flow of different civilizations. Phoenician, Celtic, Carthaginian, Roman,
Barbarian (Germanic) and Arabic cultures
have all made an imprint in Portugal. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was a major economic, political, and cultural power. The overseas empire was pervasive across the world.
Portugal's name derives from the
Roman name Portus Cale, a mixed Greek and Roman name meaning "Beautiful Port".
History
Main article: History of Portugal
In the early first millennium BC, several waves of
Celts invaded Portugal from Central
Europe and intermarried with local peoples, the Iberians, forming the Celt-Iberians. Two of the new tribes formed by this intermarriage were the Lusitanians, who lived between the Douro and Tagus rivers, and the Calaicians who, lived north of the Douro river
with several other tribes. A Phoenician colony was established in southern Portugal, the Conii. The Celtics, a later wave of Celts, settled in Alentejo.
In 238 BC, The Carthaginians
occupied the Iberian coasts. In 219 BC, the first Roman troops invaded the Iberian Peninsula. Within 200 years, Roman armies dominated most of the
peninsula, driving the Carthaginians out of their colonies in the Punic
Wars.
The Roman conquest of Portugal started from the south, where the Romans
found friendly natives, the Conii. Over decades, the Romans increased their sphere of control. But in 194 BC a rebellion began in the north. The Lusitanians and
other native tribes successfully held off the Romans, took back land, and ransacked Conistorgis, the Conii capital, because of their alliance with Rome. Viriathus, said to be born in Lorica (Loriga) in the mountains of the
center of Portugal, drove the Roman forces out of all of Portugal. Rome sent numerous legions and its best generals to reinforce
the Roman positions. At first, Rome installed a colonial regime. But during this period, Lusitania grew in prosperity and many
Portuguese cities and towns were founded. In 27 BC, Lusitania gained the status of Roman
Province.
In the 5th century, Germanic
tribes, known as Barbarians, invaded the peninsula. One of these, the Suevi, stopped fighting and founded a kingdom whose domains were, approximately, coincident with
today's Portugal. They fixed their capital in Bracara Augusta. Later, the Visigoths
conquered this kingdom, unifying the Peninsula.
An Islamic invasion took place in 711, destroying
the Visigoth Kingdom. Many of the ousted nobles took refuge in the unconquered north Asturian highlands. From there they aimed to reconquer their lands from the Moors. They were eventually successful.
In 868, Count Vímara Peres reconquers and governs the region between the Minho and Douro Rivers (including the city that became its
first capital, Portucale - today's city of Porto). Thus, the county became known as
Portucale (i.e. Portugal). Occasionally, Portugal gained factual independence during weak Leonese reigns. In fact, the
struggle for independence has started as early as the 9th century.
After the Moors were, for the most part, driven out of power, most of the Northern Iberian peninsula was briefly united under
Christian rule. However, it quickly split apart after the death of Ferdinand the Great of
Leon and Castile, whose
domains were divided by his children. Therefore, in 1065 the Kingdom of Galicia and Portugal became
independent, shortly after a war among brothers, made all the domains of Ferdinand back in one.
At the end of the 11th century a knight from Burgundy named Henry became
count of Portugal. Henry was a strong supporter of independence. Under his leadership, the County of Portucale and the County of
Coimbra merged. Henry declared independence 2 for Portugal while a civil
war raged between Leon and Castile.
Henry died without reaching his aims. His son, Afonso
Henriques, took control of the county. The city of Braga, the Catholic centre
of the Iberian peninsula, faced new competition from other regions. The lords of the cities of Coimbra and Porto with the Braga's clergy demanded the independence of the renewed county.
Portugal traces its national origin to 24 June 1128 with the Battle of São Mamede. Afonso proclaimed himself first as Prince of Portugal and in 1139 as the first King of Portugal. On October
5, 1143, with the assistance of a representative of the Holy See at the conference of Zamora, Portugal was formally recognized
as independent 2. Afonso, aided by the Templar Knights, continue to conquer southern lands to the moors. In 1250, the Portuguese Reconquista came to an end, as the Algarve was finally reconquered from the Moors. Since then, the border with the kingdoms that
would be Spain has remained almost unchanged.
July 25, 1415, marked the beginning of the
Portuguese Empire, when the Portuguese Armada along with King
John I and his sons Prince Duarte (future king), Prince Pedro, Prince Henry the Navigator and Prince Afonso, also with the mythical Portuguese hero Nuno Álvares Pereira departed to Ceuta in North Africa, a rich Islamic trade centre. On August 21, the city was conquered, and the
Portuguese Empire was founded. Further steps were taken which
expanded the Empire even more. Henry the Navigator's interest
in exploration together with some technological developments in navigation made Portugal's expansion possible and led to great
advances in geographic knowledge. The discoveries were financed by the wealth of the Order of Christ. Order founded by king Diniz for Templar Knights, who found refuge in Portugal after being
pursued all over Europe.
In 1418 two of the captains of Prince Henry the Navigator, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, were driven by a storm to an island which they called Porto Santo, or Holy Port, in gratitude for their rescue from
the shipwreck. In 1419, Zarco disembarked on Madeira Island. Between 1427 and 1431 most of the Azorean islands were discovered.
In 1434, Gil Eanes rounded the Cape Bojador, South of Morocco. The
trip marked the beginning of the Portuguese exploration of Africa. Before this voyage very little information was known in Europe
about what lay beyond it. At the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th centuries, those who tried to venture there became lost, giving birth to legends of sea monsters.
In 1448, on a small island known as Arguim off
the coast of Mauritania a castle was built, working as a feitoria (a
trading post) for commerce with inland Africa thus circumventing the Arabic caravans that crossed the Sahara. Some time later, the caravels explored the
Gulf of Guinea leading to the discovery of several uninhabited islands
and reaching the Congo River.
A remarkable achievement was the rounding of the Cape of Good
Hope by Bartholomew Dias in 1487. By then the spices of India were nearby, hence the name of the cape. In
1489, the King of Bemobi gave his realms to the Portuguese King and converted to Christianity. Between 1491 and 1494, Pêro de
Barcelos and João Fernandes Lavrador explored
North America. At the same time, Pêro da Covilhã reached Ethiopia, searching for the mythical and lost Christian kingdom of Prestes João. Vasco da Gama sailed to India, and
arrived at Calicut on May 20, 1498, returning in triumph to Portugal the next year. In 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral landed on the
Brazilian coast. Ten years later, Alfonso d'Albuquerque conquered Goa, in India.
In 1578, a very young King Sebastian died in battle, leaving no heir, which lead to a dynastic crisis. Because Philip II of Spain was the son of a Portuguese princess, the Spanish
ruler became Philip I of Portugal in 1580. Some men claimed to be King Sebastian in 1584,
1585, 1595 and 1598. Sebastianism, a myth that the young king would return on a
foggy day has prevailed until modern times.
Portugal maintained an independent law, currency and government, and the two first Spanish kings were popular. The third
Spanish king, Philip III tried to make Portugal a Spanish province. Because of this, in December
1, 1640, the Duke of Bragança, of the Portuguese Royal Family, John IV, was acclaimed, and a Restoration War against Spain was
fought. New empires had emerged and started to assault all the Portuguese Empire; Portugal regained some, but some were lost, especially in Asia.
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami, which killed more than a third of the capitol's population and devastated the
Algarve as well, had a profound effect on domestic politics and on European
philosophical thought. From 1801, the country was occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, and lost Olivença (part of the national territory) to Spain (ally of France).
Shortly after, Brazil proclaimed its independence, under the rule of Emperor Pedro I,
later the Brazilian emperor will also be Pedro IV of
Portugal.
A 1910 revolution deposed the Portuguese monarchy starting the First Republic. It was marked by chaos, and came to an end in
1926 when a nationalist military coup
d'état gave birth to the Second Republic, a period of almost fifty years of non democratic rule. Although a stable
period financially and economically, it saw the beginning of the end of the Portuguese Empire. India annexed Portuguese India, including Goa, in 1961. Independence movements also became active in
Angola, Mozambique, and Portuguese Guinea, and an increasingly costly series of colonial wars failed
to defeat the guerrillas. Discontent about the war was one of the factors leading to the 1974 coup d'état.
The Carnation Revolution of 1974, an effectively
bloodless left-wing military coup, installed the Third Republic. Broad democratic reforms were implemented. In 1975, Portugal granted independence to its Overseas Provinces (Províncias Ultramarinas in Portuguese) in Africa. In December 1975, Indonesia invaded and annexed the Portuguese province of
Portuguese Timor (East Timor) in Asia one week after independence was declared (but before legal recognition of this by Portugal and other countries
had been given). The Asian dependency of Macau, was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1999. Portugal applied international pressure to secure East Timor's independence from Indonesia, as East Timor was still legally a Portuguese dependency, and recognized as such by the United Nations. After a referendum in 1999, East Timor voted for independence and Portugal recognized its independence in 2002.
With the 1975 independence of its colonies, the 560 year old Portuguese Empire had already effectively ended. With it, 15 years of war
effort also came to an end. Also many Portuguese returned from
the colonies, coming to comprise a sizeable sector of the population and starting an economic recovery, thus opening new paths
for the country's future just as others closed. In 1986, Portugal entered the EEC, today's European Union.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Portugal
The four main organs of Portuguese politics are the President of the Republic, the Parliament, the Council of Ministers (Government), and the Judiciary.
The President of the Republic, elected to a
5-year term by universal suffrage is also commander in chief of
the armed forces. Presidential powers include appointing the Prime Minister, as advised by the Parliament which elects the Prime Minister, and the
Council of Ministers, named by the Prime Minister. Some other major powers include dismissing the Government, dissolving the
Parliament, and declaring war or peace. These have several constitutional restrictions, namely the need to previously consult the
presidential advisory body. This is the Council of State, composed of six senior civilian officers, all former presidents elected
since 1976, and ten citizens, five chosen by the President and other five by the
Parliament. The most commonly used power is that of approving or vetoing any
legislation.
The Parliament, or Assembly of the
Republic (Assembleia da República in Portuguese) is a unicameral body composed of 230
deputies. It is elected by universal suffrage according to a system of proportional representation to multi-member
constituencies. Deputies serve terms of office of 4 years, unless the president dissolves the assembly and calls for new
elections. The Assembly of the Republic is the main
legislative body. The President of Parliament substitutes the President of the Republic in the event of his absence.
The Government is headed by the Prime Minister, who names the Council of
Ministers. A newly elected government is required to define the broad outline of its policy in a program and present it to the
Parliament for a mandatory period of debate. Failure of the assembly to reject the program by a majority of deputies confirms the
government in office.
The Courts have several categories, including judicial, administrative and fiscal.
The national Supreme Court is the court of last appeal. A nine-member Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation.
The national and regional governments are dominated by two political parties, the PSD (Partido Social Democrata) -
Social Democrats and the PS (Partido Socialista) – Socialists. Within the Portuguese political culture, the PSD is
described as center-right and the PS is described as center-left. Other parties with seat in the parliament are the PP
(Partido Popular) – Popular Party, PCP (Partido Comunista Português) – Communists, Os Verdes –
The Greens, and the BE (Bloco de Esquerda) – Left Block. BE, Os Verdes and PCP are left wing and the PP right wing.
During the second semester of 2004, a coalition between the PSD (main party) and PP governed Portugal in the 16th constitutional
government, led by Pedro Santana Lopes, substituting José Manuel Durão Barroso. Barroso resigned to become
President of the European Commission. After dissolution of
the Assembly by President Jorge Sampaio, this coalition lost the election
on Feb 20, 2005. The victory of José Sócrates, the leader of the PS,
is complete with no less than 121 MPs - an unprecendented absolute majority for the PS.
In a survey on nationalism and European issues made by a newspaper in Portugal in 1994,
revealed that only 9% of the Portuguese people would consider themselves as very little or not at all nationalist, while 43%
consider themselves as a lot or extremely nationalist. But when the question is federalism in Europe, Portuguese people do not
see a contradiction between a European identity and nationalism, 51% of the interviewed would even agree with Portugal's
integration in a supposed United States of Europe,
while 27% would be against (22% do not have an opinion). Portuguese public opinion and media tend to be Europhile, in the EuroBarometer's 2004 Spring survey, 60% of the Portuguese trusted the EU.
Portugal has a territorial dispute with Spain. By the Vienna Treaty of 1815, Spain agreed to return Olivença (Olivenza in Spanish) to Portugal, but this agreement was never met. Portugal has
periodically reasserted its claim to the territory. This issue has been discussed at the Portuguese Parliament as recently as 2004. In accordance with international law, Olivença is still considered to be Portuguese territory, despite being
under Spanish administration since 1801.
Districts and regions
Main article: Political divisions
of Portugal
Portugal is divided in 8 regions: Açores, Alentejo, Algarve, Centro, Lisboa, Madeira, Norte, and Vale do Tejo. These regions are recognized and mostly for use within the European Union.
Since early 2004, the country is establishing new regional areas:
- Autonomous regions: Azores, and Madeira;
- Metropolitan Areas: Lisbon, Porto,
Coimbra, Minho, Aveiro, Algarve, and Viseu;
- Urban Communities: Oeste, Vale do Sousa, Leiria, Lezíria do Tejo, Baixo Alentejo, Trás-os-Montes, Centro Alentejo, Baixo Tâmega, Douro, Médio Tejo,
Beiras, Beira Interior Sul, and
Alto Alentejo;
- Intermunicipal communities: Pinhal,
and Vale do Minho.
Madeira, Azores, Lisbon and Porto already existed as regional entities before this process has taken place.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Portugal
Continental Portugal is split in two by its main river, the Tagus (Tejo). To the north
the landscape is mountainous in the interior areas with plateaus, cut by four breakings lines that allow the development of
relevant agricultural areas. Portugal's highest point, however, is Mount Pico (2351m) in the Azores.
The south down as far as the Algarve features mostly rolling plains with a
climate somewhat warmer and drier than the cooler and rainier north. Other major
rivers include the Douro, the Minho and the
Guadiana, similar to the Tagus in that all originate in Spain. Another important river, the Mondego, originates in the
Serra da Estrela (the highest mountains in mainland Portugal -
1,991 m). The islands of the Azores and Madeira are volcanic in
origin, and in the Azores, one to nine volcanoes are possibly active.
Climate
In mainland Portugal, average temperatures are 13ºC in the North and 18ºC in the South. Madeira and Azores, due to their
location in the Atlantic, are rainy and wet, and have a narrower range
of temperatures.
Portugal is one of the warmest European countries. Spring and Summer months are usually sunny and the temperatures very high
during July and August, with highs in the centre of the country between 30°C and 35°C, reaching sometimes highs of 45°C in the
southern interior. Autumn and Winter are typically rainy and windy, yet sunny days are not rare either, the temperatures rarely
fall below 5°C, usually staying at an average of 10°C. Snow is common in the mountainous areas of the north. Portugal's climate
is classified as Atlantic-Mediterranean.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Portugal
Portugal has developed an increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Union in 1986, a development that began with the boom of the
1960s. Over the past decade, successive governments have privatised many state-controlled firms and liberalised key areas of the economy, including the
financial and telecommunications sectors. Today, Portugal is a
developed nation. It joined the Economic and
Monetary Union in 1998 and began circulating its new currency, the euro, on January 1, 2002
along with 11 other EU members.
As of 2004, economic growth has been above the EU average for much of the
past decade, but GDP per capita stands at just 75% of
that of the leading EU economies. Portuguese GDP grew 1.5% in real terms in the second quarter of 2004 compared with the same period in 2003, by virtue of favourable domestic
conditions. It benefited from investment and private consumer spending. Exports increased, but not in comparison with the strong
growth of imports. In the same quarter the unemployment rate was 6.3%. In
2003, GDP per capita shrank 1%, due to the stringent austerity measures imposed by the
government, low rates of investment and an internationally weak economic climate.
The country still has a 6.7 percent illiteracy rate, mostly among the elderly. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by
lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment.
In the technology area, Portugal has one of the higher rates in the World when possessing a mobile phone (over 100%). Third
generation mobile phones, UMTS, are being largely commercialized by operators since early
2004. Considering that 41% of the homes in Portugal had a computer in the first quarter of 2004, only 26% of the population had
Internet at home; an additional 4% also used it. It is considered that in the near future most of the population will have access
to the Internet via mobile phone.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of
Portugal
As of 2004 Portugal has 10.5 million inhabitants.
Portugal is a fairly homogeneous country linguistically and religiously. Ethnically, Portuguese are a combination of several
ethnicities, primarily native Iberians, Romans, Celts, and Visigoths.
Other elements are Moors, Suevi and Phoenician. Even so, Portuguese people are ethnically homogenous. The country is
characterized by city, town or village cultural differentiation and there is virtually no regional affiliation, unlike other
European countries. Portuguese is spoken throughout the
country, with only the villages of Miranda de Douro's Leonese dialect recognised as a
locally co-official language. It is known as Mirandese. The
closely related Asturian dialect in Spain is another Leonese dialect but not officially recognized by Spain.
Almost ten percent of Portugal's citizens are immigrants. Since the decolonization period, Portugal has received immigrants
from the former African colonies, and from Europe (especially the United
Kingdom, Germany and France - the
climate, culture, and relatively low cost of living are the main attractions). Today, many Eastern Europeans (especially Ukrainians, Moldavans, Romanians and Russians), as well as Brazilians, are making Portugal their home in search of a better life. Portugal, long a country of emigration, has
now become a country of immigration.
The great majority of the Portuguese population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. Religious observance remains very strong in northern areas, with the
population of Lisbon and southern areas generally less devout. Religious minorities
include a little over 300,000 Protestants, the most notable denominations
are: the Assemblies of God, Christian Congregation in Portugal,
Brethren Assemblies, Mana Church, Presbyterians, Methodists,
and the Lusitan Catholic Evangelical Church. 50,000 Muslims (many of them from Goa, a former Portuguese colony on the west coast of India),
10,000 Hindus (also largely from Goa), and 1000 Jews.
A considerably larger number of people have some Jewish heritage, and although themselves Catholic, still observe some Jewish
customs.
Culture
Main articles: Culture of Portugal - List of Portuguese people - Music of Portugal
Portugal is known for its traditional architecture, its wines, its food, and its literature.
Portugal is sometimes known as "a country of poets". As a matter of fact, Portuguese poetry has a larger influence in the
country's literature than prose. In the dawn of nationhood, poetry in Portuguese-Galician was widely popular in most Christian Iberian Peninsula. There are excellent works of both lyrical and epic poetry. The best-known Portuguese
poets internationally are Luís de Camões and Fernando Pessoa. Modern Portuguese poetry, since the 19th century, has its roots in a handful of relevant poets, from neo-classicism to
contemporary.
Prose developed later than verse and first appeared in the 14th century.
The line of the chroniclers, which is one of the boasts of Portuguese literature, began with Fernão Lopes. Gil Vicente and the priest António Vieira are some pre-modern
Portuguese writers. It is the modern Portuguese literature that is more internationally known, mostly the works of Almeida Garrett, Alexandre Herculano,
Eça de Queirós, Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, António Lobo Antunes and the 1998 Nobel Prize for literature winner, José Saramago.
Main article: Music of Portugal
Fado (from fate or destiny in Portuguese) is a form of melancholic
music. The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade (a word with
no accurate equivalent in English; it conveys a complex mixture of sadness, pain, longing and love, along with other feelings),
and its origins are probably from a mixture of African slave rhythms with traditional music of Portuguese sailors, with Arabic influence. There are two varieties of Fado: Lisbon
and Coimbra. The Lisbon style is the popular, while the Coimbra's is the refined
style; both are seen as ethnic music for sophisticated audience. The notable Amália Rodrigues introduced the most well-known variety of fado. After her disappearance, a new wave of
performers added stylistic changes and brought more international popularity to the traditional Portuguese music. Mariza and Mísia brought with them a new look to the traditional song, while Dulce Pontes mixed it with popular Portuguese music and Madredeus and Cristina Branco, made a complete revolution, with new instruments - all that they kept from the original
Fado is its looks and the concept of "saudade". All varieties of Fado are sorrowful; although some can also be joyful songs.
António Chaínho and
Carlos Paredes are some of the most notable masters on the Portuguese guitar. Fado can not be separated from the Portuguese
Guitar.
Portuguese pop-rock has grown
particularly after the 1974 revolution. Other genres
include a local version of hip hop, the Hip Hop Tuga (or Portuguese hip hop), mostly performed by the African Portuguese community - descendants of
immigrants from former Portuguese colonies in Africa. Hip Hop Tuga is very popular among the younger and urban population in
Portugal, while Pimba, the soft-pop music more common in Portugal, is popular in the
rural areas and among Portuguese immigrants in other countries.
As for dancing, Portugal has the traditional folklore (Ranchos
Folclóricos), with many varieties from each region: Fandango, Corridinho and O Vira are some of them. Portugal shares with Angola a
shared rhythm known as "Kuduro", a sort of
'hard hass' with fast movements and extreme sensuality and strong African rhythm.
Samples:
European football is the most popular and practiced sport
in Portugal. As of August 2004, the country is ranked 8th in 205 countries by FIFA. Luís Figo is one of the world's top players, but the legendary
Eusébio, Rui Costa
and Cristiano Ronaldo are also noteworthy. Portugal is also very
well represented in other sports, such has Rink hockey, being the country
with most world titles.
The country has an ancient martial art known as "Jogo do Pau" (Eng., Stick Game), used for self-protection and for duels between young
men in dispute over a young women. Having its origin in the middle ages, Jogo do Pau uses wooden sticks as a combat weapon. Other
sports are the "Jogos Populares", a wide variety of traditional sports used for fun.
Eating in Portugal is often a visitor's most remembered characteristic of the country. Each region of Portugal has its own
traditional dishes, including various kinds of meat, sea-food, diverse and fresh fish. Portuguese have a reputation for loving
cod dishes (bacalhau in Portuguese). For that
there are 365 ways of making cod dishes. The Romans associated Portugal with Bacchus, their God of Winery and
Feast. Today the country is known by wine lovers, and its wines had won several
international prizes. Many famous Portuguese wines are known as some of the world's best: Vinho Verde, Vinho Alvarinho, Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Dão, Vinho da Bairrada and the sweet: Port Wine, Madeira wine and the Moscatels of
Setúbal and Favaios (Douro). Port Wine is largely exported, now followed by
Vinho Verde. Exports of Vinho Verde are largely increasing, in response to the growing international demand.
Festivals play a major role in Portugal's summers. Every city and town has its own or several festivals. The June Festivities
are extremely popular, these festivities are dedicated to three saints known as Santos Populares (En., Popular saints) and
take place all over Portugal. Why the populace associated the saints with these pagan festivities is not known. The practice is
possibly related to Roman or local deities before Christianity spread in the region. The three saints are Saint Anthony, Saint John
and Saint Peter. A common denominator in these festivities are the wine and
água-pé (a watered kind of wine), traditional bread along with sardines, marriages, traditional street dances, fire, fireworks and joy.
Saint Anthony is celebrated on the nights of the 12th and 13th, especially in Lisbon (where that saint was born and lived
most of his life), with Marchas Populares (a sort of street carnival) and festivities. In the meantime, several marriages
known as Casamentos de Santo António (En., Marriages of Saint Anthony) are celebrated at the same time. But the most
popular saint is Saint John. He is celebrated in many cities and towns throughout the country on the nights of the 23rd and 24th, especially in Porto and Braga, where the sardines, Caldo Verde
(traditional soup) and plastic hammers to hammer on other peoples' heads for luck are indispensable. The final Saint is Saint
Peter, celebrated on the nights of the 28th and 29th, especially in Póvoa de Varzim and Barcelos, festivities are similar to the others, but mostly dedicated to the sea and
extensive use of fire (fogueiras). In Póvoa de Varzim, there is the Rusgas in the night, another sort of street
carnival. Each festivity is a municipal holiday in the cities and towns where it occurs. Carnival is also widely celebrated in Portugal, some traditional carnivals dates back several centuries.
Public Holidays
Popular Saints Festivities (local holidays)
Other Festivities (non public holidays)
| Date |
English Name |
Local Name |
Remarks |
| January 6 |
Epiphany |
Dia de Reis |
Traditional street music - "As Janeiras"; family gatter to eat the "Bolo-Rei" (King Cake) |
| - |
Easter Monday |
Pascoela |
Monday after Easter; picnic day - in some areas of the country |
| November 11 |
Saint Martin Day (Short summer) |
Dia/Verão de São Martinho |
peak of three days usually hot, where the population celebrates the Saint with gerupiga and roasted chestnuts (castanhas assadas)
|
Notes
- [1] The use of the words Lusitânia or Nação Lusa to mean Portugal, and of Lusitano to mean a
Portuguese citizen, is due to ancient tribes who lived in most of today’s territory of Portugal. When the Romans
conquered the land, they called it the Province of Lusitania.
- [2] The concept of a declaration of
independence did not exist at the time. Portugal was recognized as a kingdom with its own king by Leon in 1143 and by the Pope in 1179.
- [3] Portuguese has been the official language of Portugal since 1296, replacing
Classical Latin, the official language since independence. Portuguese
does not descend from Classical Latin but rather from Vulgar Latin. In Portugal, the local Vulgar Latin was known as Vulgar Language
before it was renamed Portuguese. Mirandese, a related Romance language, is officially recognized in the municipality of
Miranda do Douro, and spoken in the villages of the
municipality.
References
- Ribeiro, Ângelo & Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal I - A Formação do Território QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 9895541066).
- Ribeiro, Ângelo & Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal II - A Afirmação do País QuidNovi, 2004 (ISBN 9895541074).
- de Macedo, Newton & Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal III - A Epopeia dos Descobrimentos QuidNovi, 2004
(ISBN 9895541082).
- de Macedo, Newton & Saraiva, José Hermano História de Portugal IV - Glória e Declínio do Império QuidNovi, 2004
(List of Cities in Portugal | Guantánamo Bay | Hispania | Culture of Portugal | Military of Portugal | Portuguese Empire | LAN party | Communications in Portugal | Economy of Portugal | List of Concelhos of Portugal | Desenrascanço | Foreign relations of Portugal | List of Portuguese birds | Sebastianism | Reporters Without Borders | Transportation in Portugal |
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