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== Portugal == | == Portugal == |
Revision as of 17:44, 13 December 2012
Portugal | Main pages | Places | Other links |
Trustroots {{ #if: Flag of Portugal.svg|}} |
{{ #if: *Portugal main page |
{{ #if: Aveiro • Azores • Beja • Braga • Bragança • Castelo Branco • Coimbra • Évora • Faro • Guarda • Leiria • Lisbon • Madeira • Portalegre • Porto • Santarém • Setúbal • Viana do Castelo • Vila Real • Viseu|Aveiro • Azores • Beja • Braga • Bragança • Castelo Branco • Coimbra • Évora • Faro • Guarda • Leiria • Lisbon • Madeira • Portalegre • Porto • Santarém • Setúbal • Viana do Castelo • Vila Real • Viseu}} |
{{ #if: 109|*BW group}} {{ #if: 241|*CS group}} {{ #if: Portugal|*Wikipedia}} {{ #if: Portugal|*Wikivoyage}} {{ #if: Portugal|*Hitchwiki}} |
Portugal
Portugal is a country in Europe.
Regions
Portugal is divided into 7 Regions.
Norte
Lisboa e Vale do Tejo
Algarve
Alentejo
Região Autónoma da Madeira
Região Autónoma dos Açores
Portuguese Capital is Lisboa
Other large cities:
Braga
Coimbra
Évora
Faro
Guimarães
Porto
Setúbal
Portugal in CouchSurfing
The Portugal Group
The Portugal group currently consists of 14800 members, and it continues to grow. The group is currently working hard to create a strong and welcoming community
The Portugal CS Organization Group
Is a group created to strengthen the communication and collaboration between local CS communities around Portugal. The group consists of almost all the Portuguese Ambassadors.
Country Ambassadors
Currently there are no Country Ambassadors. The previous ones were:
City Ambassadors
Nomadic Ambassadors
Here you can see the CS Portugal Group
In Portugal there are around 11000 Registered CouchSurfers
You can do a couchsearch HERE
Remember, Couchsurfing is not intended to be a free Hostel Service! Find someone you think you will connect with and enjoy spending time with so that everyone benefits!
Check the How to write a CouchRequest page for ideas.
For Hosts :
Check the How to be a good Host
Where to sleep
But, if you are unlucky and cant find a host - check the bellow link for a Hostels search:
Hostels and Cheap Hotels in Portugal
CS Portuguese Meetings
Check the Portuguese CS Meetings Calendar for further details.
CouchSurfing in Portuguese Media
Now some tips about Portugal, we hope you like it...
Emergency Numbers
National Emergency Number:
112
It connects you to fire, police and ambulance services.
History of Portugal
Portugal emerged as a country in 1143, after a 15 year rebellion by Dom Afonso Henriques (Afonso I). Afonso Henriques defeated his mother Countess Teresa of Portugal, regent of the County (Condado) of Portugal and loyal to the Kingdom of Leon, at the battle of Sao Mamede (Batalha de Sao Mamede) near the town of Guimaraes, in June of 1128. Countess Teresa was imprisoned and exiled by her son, and died in 1130. Guimaraes is therefore known as the birthplace city of Portugal.
However the true test of an independent nation did not happened until 1385 when Joao Mestre de Avis (John of Avis) with the help of legendary supreme constable Nuno Alvares Pereira defeated the Castilians at the epic Aljubarrota battle where the Castilians outnumbered the Portuguese 6:1. John I (Dom Joao I) was crowned King of Portugal. John I along with his sons, Duarte (to became the King in succession), Henry The Navigator, and Afonso started the "Golden Decades" of worldwide discoveries (15th and 16th centuries). Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony.
In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms, which had the opposite effect. Too much freedom too quickly placed the country in total "democratic chaos" with union bosses, corrupt politicians, and left-wing and right-wing extremists taking turns plundering the country, and lead to the implementation of disastrous economic and labor plans.
General Information
Portugal is the country lying along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in south western Europe. It is bordered on the East and North by Spain, and on the West and South by the Atlantic Ocean. Occupying about 16 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal has a total area of 35 672 square miles, occupied by ten million people. Despite its small size, the country displays a great diversity of geographic features, creating a contrast between plain areas and extremely mountainous zones. Until the 1970s, Portuguese overseas territories included the Cape Verde Islands, São Tomé and Príncipe, Portuguese Guinea, Angola and Mozambique (all in Africa), Macau (in Asia) and Timor (in Oceania). Of these, by the late 20th century, only Macau remained a Portuguese dependency, now under China’s dependance. As a member of the European Community and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Portugal plays a greater role in both European and world affairs than its size would suggest. Nonetheless, it is one of the poorest countries in Western Europe.
Total area: 92 389 sq km (including Madeira and Azores) Land: 91959 sq km Water: 430 sq km Land use: 26 percent arable land; 9 percent permanent crops; 9 percent permanent pastures; 36 percent forests and woodland; 20 percent other. Terrain: Mountainous north of the Tagus river, rolling plains in south.
Food/Gastronomy
The staple diet is one of fish, meat, vegetables and fruit. Although Portugal's waters abound with fresh fish, the dried, salted codfish known as 'bacalhau', often imported, is considered the national dish. In some countries, at Christmas time, people eat turkey, in Portugal people eat boiled 'bacalhau', with olive oil, potatoes, grain and cabbages.
In many areas, meat is seldom eaten, although the Alentejo region is known for its pork and Trás-os Montes for cured meats. Breads and sweets - the latter a legacy of Moorish occupation - take a variety of forms, with many regional specialities.
Wine is the ubiquitous table beverage.
Culture
Portuguese culture is based on a past that dates from prehistoric times into the eras of Roman and Moorish invasion. All have left their traces in a rich legacy of archaeological remains, including prehistoric cave paintings at Escoral, the Roman township of Conimbriga, the Temple of Diana in Évora and the typical Moorish architecture of such southern towns as Olhão and Tavira.
Throughout the centuries, Portugal's arts have been enriched by foreign influences, including Flemish, French and Italian. The voyages of the Portuguese discoverers opened the country to Oriental influences and the revelation of Brazil's wealth of gold and jewels fed the Baroque flame in decoration.
Speaking Portuguese
Once in Portugal, the Portuguese will appreciate that you make an effort to speak their language.
Almost all Portuguese speak English and they also appreciate that you say "please" whenever you’re asking for something.
Economy
Portugal is a country essentially agriculturist, exporting 75 percent of its agricultural and cattle production.
The viniculture dominates the agricultural activities to the North of the Douro (where you can find the generous Porto wine) and, annually, about 15 million litres are produced.
Portugal is the biggest producer, in Europe, of cork oak and has, equally, a big importance in the olive oil production and exportation of canned food. The fishing industry is also important to the national economy.
The construction and steel industries have gradually increased along with the tourist industry, a precious source of foreign currency.
Member of the European Union since 1986, Portugal enjoys a healthy economic growth.
Places to see
North of Portugal
Center
Center / South
South
Guides
Language
Basic Portuguese Phrases - just the basics, knowing these few words will help.
Transportation
Airports
Trains
Bus
Buses Portuguese only
Traveling Spain & Portugal? Eurohop! Spain & Portugal, the Iberian hop-on hop-off, offers all CS members a 30% discount on full prices. Just enter the promotional code CS0207 in the booking form and surf the Iberian Peninsula at your own pace. Eurohop! Spain & Portugal is a flexible transport network designed for the independent traveller and backpacker interested in discovering the Iberian Peninsula. The network allows travellers to customise their own adventure around 11 magnificent destinations: Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Zaragoza, Toledo, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Salamanca, Lagos and Lisbon with special links to Pamplona and La Tomatina. All Eurohop! Passes are valid for travelling from May 1st to October 31st.
Get the 30% off with promotional code CS0207
www.eurohop.es [3]
Trivia
Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but fell back in 2001-05. GDP per capita stands at two-thirds that of the Big Four EU economies. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment. The government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness while keeping the budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP ceiling.
The most important industries are textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metals and metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; rubber and plastic products; ceramics; electronics and communications equipment; rail transportation equipment; aerospace equipment; ship construction and refurbishment; wine; tourism.
The currency is the EURO since, on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries.
Portugal's telephone system has achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities and a main line telephone density of 53% domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations international: country code - 351; 6 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned.
Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz.
This data was collected on https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/po.html