Portal:Portugal

Culture · Geography · Health · History · Mathematics · Nature · Philosophy · Religion · Society · Technology

edit

THE PORTUGAL PORTAL

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa in Portuguese), is located in the west and southwest parts of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, and 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 includes two archipelagos in the Atlantic, the Azores (Açores) and Madeira Islands.

Portugal has witnessed a constant flow of different civilizations during the past 3100 years. Iberian, Tartessian, Celtic, Phoenician and Carthaginian, Greek, Roman, Germanic (Suevi and Visigoth) and Moorish cultures have all made an imprint on the country. The naming of Portugal itself reveals most of the country's early history, stemming from the Roman name Portus Cale, a Latin name meaning "Port of Cale (Vila Nova de Gaia)", or even mixed Celtic and Latin or mixed Phoenician and Latin. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was a major economic, political, and cultural power, its empire stretching from Brazil to the Indies.

edit

Selected article

The complete list of Presidents of the Portuguese Republic consists of the 20 heads of state in the history of Portugal since the October 5, 1910 revolution that installed a republican regime. This list includes not only those persons who sworn into office as President of Portugal but also those who de facto served as head of state since 1910. This is the case of Teófilo Braga who served as President of the Provisional Government after the republican coup d'état. Also Sidónio Pais, Mendes Cabeçadas, Gomes da Costa, as well as Canto e Castro and Óscar Carmona in their early months, weren't sworn into office as President of the Republic, usually being the President of the Ministery (Prime Minister), but de facto accumulation this functions with that of the Head of State. (continued...) edit

Selected biography

António de Oliveira Salazar (April 28, 1889—July 27, 1970) was the President of the Council of Ministers of Portugal for 36 years, from 1932 to 1968, and founder of the Estado Novo (New Regime). He was the last of a family of 11, and he was also the only male child. He studied at the Seminary, from 1900 to 1914 and thought of becoming a priest, but he later changed his mind. He studied Law at Coimbra University during the first years of the Republican regime. As a young man, his involvement in politics stems from his catholic views, which were aroused by the new anticlerical Portuguese First Republic. He was Finance Minister during the Ditadura Nacional, and then was appointed President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister). Salazar developed the "Estado Novo" (literally, New State). The basis of his regime was a platform of stability; his reforms were advantageous to the upper classes while detrimental to the poorer sections of society. Education was not seen as a priority and therefore not heavily invested in. Salazar relied on the secret police (often known by the name it carried from 1945--1969, PIDE) to repress, torture and, in extreme cases, murder dissidents. During his political rule, Portugal remainded neutral in World War II, joined EFTA and NATO and started a Colonial War. (continued...) edit

Selected place

Coimbra is a city in Portugal. The municipality has a population of 148,474 inhabitants, and over 430,000 inhabitants live in its metropolitan area made of 16 concelhos comprising a 3370 km² area. It is the district seat of Coimbra district (distrito de Coimbra) and capital of Centro region (região Centro).

This historic city is located in the central part of Portugal, 120 km south of Porto, 195 km north of Lisbon. One of Portugal's biggest crossroads, Coimbra is served by the A1, the main highway of Portugal. It is set by the Mondego River, about 40 km east of Figueira da Foz, a neighbour coastal city with several beaches, summer and seaport facilities on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. (continued...)

edit

Quotes

"There are lots of hats, you idiot!"
Vasco Santana in A Canção de Lisboa

"Rather Queen for a day than duchess for a lifetime"
Luísa de Gusmão, queen-consort of John IV

"Oh salted sea, how much of your salt are Portuguese tears?"
Fernando Pessoa, poet

"Dantas might know grammar, might know syntax, might know medicine, might know how to cook suppers for cardinals, he might know everything except to write which is the only thing he does"
Almada Negreiros, writer and painter

"Times change, wills change"
Luís Vaz de Camões, national poet

edit