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PortugalPortugal<!-- begin quick bar --> <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em"> <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #f3f3ff" width="200"> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Flag</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; padding: 2px">Image:po-flag.png</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; border-top: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Quick Facts</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Capital'''</td><td>Lisbon</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Government'''</td><td>parliamentary democracy<br/></td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Currency'''</td><td>euro (EUR)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Area'''</td><td>''total:'' 92,391 sq km <br>''land:'' 91,951 sq km <br>''note:'' includes Azores and Madeira Islands <br>''water:'' 440 sq km</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Population'''</td><td>10,084,245 (July 2002 est.)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Language'''</td><td>Portuguese</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Religion'''</td><td>No official religon, with most of the population being Roman Catholic, some Protestant or other religions and sects, non practitoners and atheists.</td></tr> </table> </div> <!-- end quick bar --> Portugal, in Southern Europe, shares the Iberia|Iberian peninsula at the western tip of Europe with Spain. Geographically and culturally somewhat isolated from its neighbor, Portugal has a rich, unique culture and beautiful countryside. Although it was once one of the poorest countries in Europe, its incorporation into the European Union has meant increased prosperity -- and increased prices for travelers. Still, it may be one of the best value destinations on the Continent. ==Regions== *Alentejo *Algarve *The Azores Islands *Beira Alta *Beira Baixa *Estremadura *Madeira Islands *Minho *Douro Litoral *Trás-os-Montes & Alto Douro ==Cities== *Aveiro *Braga *Coimbra *Évora *Faro *Funchal *Guimarães *Leiria *Lisbon *Porto (Oporto) *Setúbal *Sintra ==Understand== ==Get in== ===By plane=== ===By train=== ===By car=== Portugal is an extremely dangerous country to travel by car. A total lack of respect for the road code while driving at high speed under the influence of alcohol in uninsured cars very often without driving licence make Portugal a death trap for Portuguese and Tourists car drivers and Pedestrians alike. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!! ===By bus=== ===By boat=== ==Get around== Thanks to generous government subsidies, '''rail travel''' in Portugal is often cheaper and faster than travel by '''bus'''. Unfortunately the rail network is limited, so you may find yourself bussing about to get anywhere off the beaten path. Lisbon and Porto also have a clean and modern '''metro system'''. Road traffic in Lisbon is pretty congested all day round and gets completely stuck in the rush hours. ==Talk== The official language of Portugal is '''Portuguese'''. Although it's somewhat related to Spanish, Italian, and other Romance languages, it's not identical. Spanish-speakers may be able to make themselves understood, but considering that Spaniards play the tourist role here more even than English-speakers, you won't really be making much of a cultural connection. English is spoken in many tourist areas, but is far from ubiquitous. People familar with the Brazil|Brazilian variety of Portuguese should be completely intelligible, if slightly strange-sounding, to Portuguese listeners. See also: Portuguese phrasebook ==Buy== Portugal is part of the Eurozone and uses the '''euro''' as its currency (symbol: '''€'''). '''ATMs''' accepting international cards can be found everywhere, and currency conversion booths spring up wherever there is a steady flow of tourists (although the closer they are to tourist attractions, the worse the rates they offer). ==Eat== Portuguese cuisine evolved from hearty peasant food drawn from the seafood of the country's abundant coast and the pork raised on the limited grazing land of its interior. From these humble origins, Mediterranean ingredients flowing from Spain and spices brought back to the country during its exploration and colonisation of the East Indies and the Far East helped shape what is regarded as 'typical' Portuguese cuisine. '''Soup''' is the essential first course of any Portuguese meal. The most popular is the Minho specialty, ''caldo verde'', made from cabbage, potatoes and spiced sausage. You will see another Portuguese staple '''''bacalhau''''' (dried codfish) everywhere. Locals will tell you that there are as many ways to cook this revered dish as there are days in the year. The most common of Portugal's delicious '''fish''' (''peixe'') dishes revolve around sole (''linguado'') and sardines (''sardinha'') although salmon (''salmão'') and trout (''truta'') are also featured heavily. These are fried, grilled or served in a variety of sauces. You'll see grills, thick with the smoke of charring meat, in front of many restaurants during your stay. Other than traditional sardines and salmon, Portuguese '''grilled chicken''' -- marinated in chilli, garlic and olive oil -- is world famous. '''Vegetarians''' may have a tough time of it in Portugal. In most restaurants, vegetables (usually boiled or fried potatoes) are simply a garnish to the main meat dish. Even 'vegetarian' salads and dishes may just substitute tuna (which locals don't seem to regard as a 'meat') for ham or sausage. If in doubt, ask. In '''grocery stores''' the scales are in the produce section, not at the checkout. If you don't weigh your produce and go to the checkout, you will be told ''Tem que os pesar'' ou ''Tem que pesar'' (You have to weigh them). ==Drink== Portugal and the city of Porto are known the world over for the sweet, dense wine known as '''port'''. Available in a boggling array of colors, ages, processes and vintages, the wine can be found in any cafe or restaurant in the country. '''White port''' makes a nice accompaniment to fruit, cheese, or as an aperitif; '''tawny''' and '''ruby''' ports are better for after dinner. Although port gets most of the glory world-wide, one of the great delights of first-time visitors to Portugal is its amazing array of delicious and inexpensive '''wines''' (''vinho''). Portugal has a huge wine industry, but it's mostly for domestic consumption and very little of the product is actually exported. All the better for the country's visitors: a drinkable liter of wine can be had in a corner shop for €2-3 (really), and even the finer-quality stuff is usually under €15 in a restaurant. Especially tasty is '''''vinho verde''''' ("green wine"), a young sparkling wine that (despite the name) comes in white and red varieties, and makes an especially nice dinner or evening accompaniment. There are other drinks travelers may not be familiar with. One is '''''cachaça''''', a hangover-inducing rotgut liquor originally from Brazil and made from sugar-cane, used to make ''caipirinha'' cocktails. Another is '''absinthe''', a green, licorice-flavored liqueur infused with wormwood, a mildly psychotropic herb. Absinthe has been banned in many countries of the world, but it remains legal in Portugal. No spoons or sugar cubes here: it's normally drunk with tonic water, orange juice, or in shots.Teenage people usually drink Sumol. It's very popular in the Acores ==Sleep== The youth hostel network has a great number of hostels around the country, all with very good conditions although not very cheap. There's a wide and abundant hotel offering all through Portugal. If budget is a concern, and you want a true 'typical-portuguese' experience, gather your courage and try one Residencial, the home-like hostels ubiquitous in the cities. Be sure, however, of the quality of the rooms. On the luxury side, you might try the 'Pousadas de Portugal', a network of hotels remarkable for using very beautiful ancient buildings. ==sleep== Estoril (on the western coast of Lisbon, near Cascais and Guincho beach) has a friendly self catering rental place (50-80 euros for 2) and can be found at : http://golfestoril.com.sapo.pt/ ==Stay safe== ==Stay healthy== ==Respect== ==Contact== '''Public telephones''' are common throughout the country, but you'll find them even less generous than slot-machines: many times they'll swallow your change and give you no credit. You're better off purchasing a calling card or using your credit card, although support for this feature is limited and expensive. When looking for a calling card - try kiosks on the street, little shops... - you'll probably be given one from Portugal Telecom (Portugal's monopolist phone company), ask if they have from other providers. Most of the times they are cheaper, you don't have to insert them anywhere (just dial a code!) and it works in every fix phone, even in hotels - and in this case you don't need to pay any phone bill in the hotel. To call an international number, dial 00 and then the country code. '''Internet cafes''' can be readily found in major cities and tourist towns. Expect to pay between €2 - €3 per hour. ==External links== fr:Portugal ro:Portugalia de:Portugal WikiPedia:Portugal {{stub}} www.encylopedia.com/portugal First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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