Portugal is one of the world’s oldest powers. The long history and civilization development in Portugal led to the country becoming a leader in colonization. International trade routes and exploration charters were founded in Portugal. Because of this focus on world exploration, the culture has been very influential in the entire world. At one point, the entirety of land in the Americas was split between Portugal and Spain. This shows how important Portugal was at the beginning of modern history. Through scientific and cultural advancement, this country became one of history’s greatest influencers.
Portugal in modern-day pays respect to many of the old traditions. Religion is especially important here, and religious practices have been passed down through many generations. Through religion and family ties, traditional culture is preserved. Portugal’s rich history is present in the people and the cities, making it a perfect place for history fans to visit.
Portugal Facts
1. Portugal’s Capital City, Lisbon, is One of the Oldest Cities in Europe
Portugal is known for its long history and influence in the modern world. Some of the expertise that was developed in this country is from the long existence of civilization. From various scientific and archeological findings, there is evidence that Lisbon is possibly the oldest city in Europe, an interesting fact about Portugal. Findings of ancient technology, architecture, and remains suggest that Lisbon was a civilized location for over 3,000 years. This long history of the capital city shows how Portugal grew in power in Europe and became one of the leading countries in world exploration in the 14th and 15th centuries.
2. Portuguese Is Spoken Around the World
Due to Portugal’s history of colonization and world exploration, language and culture influence the world. There are nine other countries in the world with Portuguese as the official national language. There are many more countries that have Portuguese speakers or languages derived from Portuguese. Along with the language, the culture of this country spread around the world. Religion, European societal practices, and government systems that are found in Portugal also influence many other countries. An interesting fact about Portugal is that it is calculated that Portuguese is the sixth most spoken world language.
3. This Country Is the Leader in Clean Energy
In the modern world, many countries and governments are trying to find solutions to clean and renewable sources of energy. This energy is needed to give electricity to homes or businesses. Finding sources of energy that can fuel automobiles is also a leading issue. Portugal is leading Europe in renewable energy sources such as solar panels and large wind turbines that can power cities. Portugal is also taking action to reduce the amount of gasoline-powered cars by creating laws for the future requiring electric cars. Many other European countries have taken lessons from the policies in Portugal to become energy efficient and provide cleaner energy to protect the planet.
4. Football (Soccer) is Part of Everyday Life
Football has become such an important part of Portuguese culture, that nearly every household supports Portugal’s football league and international team. One of football’s current stars, Cristiano Ronaldo, is from Portugal. He is a name that many people around the world recognize and respect for his skill. The Portuguese football league has some of the most fans in the world, filling stadiums and many millions watching on TV. Almost every child in Portugal has played football at one point in their life.
5. Portugal Was the Largest Slave trading Country, But the First to Abolish Slavery
One of the most unfortunate practices of world exploration and trade was the widespread use of slave labor. Because of the prominent role in the new world, Portugal became a leader in the slave trade. Slaves were a common tool used for international trade, and the hard work of those people led to the development of many great nations. An interesting fact about Portugal is that its government decided to quickly abolish slavery, making it the first country to do so. Other American and European countries still used slavery for many years, but the early abolition in Portugal became an influence on these other countries.
6. Tea culture in Europe Began in Portugal
A cultural practice native to many countries in Europe is tea drinking. Tea practices in various countries are used for social purposes, not just for the enjoyment of the drink. The Portuguese royalty first received tea from overseas and began to drink it daily. The positive health effects of tea made it a popular beverage for nobility. Portugal gifted tea to royalty in England, introducing the herbal beverage to the people. Today, England is known for being a leader in tea production, but not many people know that Portugal was the country that introduced the drink to the English.
7. Religious Missionaries Spread Food Culture
The most prominent influence on Portuguese culture is religion. Catholicism is practiced by over 80% of the population. This religious history inside Portugal also is important for their world exploration and colony creation in earlier centuries. Missionaries were tasked to spread religion to other countries, but they also spread other parts of Portuguese culture. The most influential was food and cooking styles, a fun fact about Portugal. Many countries developed techniques from Portuguese cooking, especially for making seafood and dessert dishes.
8. Over 90% of Portugal’s Territory is Water
Portugal may look like a large area of land when viewed on the map, but after considering specific territory claims, Portugal has more claim of water than it does of land. This has been very important for Portugal’s economy. Many businesses that work with water-based production such as shipbuilding and fishing have become important industries. Seafood is the pinnacle of Portuguese cooking, where many dishes are made with fish.
Conclusion
Portugal has one of the longest histories of European nations. This allowed for many of the customs and civilization practices in this country to become very influential in the rest of the world. Many countries rely on the Portuguese language to communicate. Modern food culture around the world is also attributed to traditional Portuguese cooking styles.
I hope that this article on Portugal facts was helpful! If you are interested, visit the Country Facts Page.
