Portugal is the westernmost continental country in Europe. Despite being close to Spain, its language and culture are very different, that's why it's so fascinating to visit it! You will find spectacular castles, cities with impressive stories and fascinating corners that will make you remember your trip forever. Do you want to know 30 curiosities of Portugal?
To begin we will tell you that this country is the oldest nation-state in the world , so you can imagine that among all the curiosities of Portugal, the historical ones will stand out. A corpse queen, almost immovable borders, shepherds fiercely confronting the Roman Empire itself ... Portugal is extraordinary! Keep reading, discover your most curious data.
30 Fascinating Portuguese curiosities
1. The name of Portugal it comes from what was formerly the city of Porto called "Portus Cale".
2. One of the curiosities of Portugal is that it has defined its borders for almost 800 years! In 1249 they were practically the same as they are today.
3. The capital of Portugal, Lisbon, has the honor of being the second oldest capital in Europe , after Athens.
4. The Romans called the great part of what is now Portugal "Lusitania" because it inhabited the pre-Roman peoples called "Lusitanian".
5. Viriato , the Lusitanian pastor, was the worst nightmare of the Romans in their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. Is a National hero in Portugal and is also a well-known historical figure in Spain.
6. The language of Portugal is Portuguese and it is the sixth most spoken in the world. One of the curiosities of Portuguese is that it is the official language in countries on 4 continents. In addition, there are communities that speak it on 5 continents.
7. Did you know that Japanese word "Arigato" comes from the Portuguese "Obrigado" What does that mean?
8. Have you heard of Inés de Castro, the Queen Corpse ? She was queen of Portugal two years after being killed. King Pedro I proclaimed her queen in 1357.
9. The Fado, the traditional music of Portugal It was recognized as Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2011.
10. Another of the curiosities of Portugal It affects the culinary field. His influence on world cuisine is impressive. They not only introduced the custom of tea in England, but also brought the tempura to Japan, invented the piri piri sauce and brought to India through their colony of Goa, several of the ingredients necessary to make curry and potatoes.
11. In Portugal there are more than 1,000 recipes to cook one of their most typical dishes: cod.
12. The Portuguese dictatorship of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar is considered the longest in Europe. It spread during almost half of the 20th century.
13. Another of the curiosities of Portugal It is his fame as the cradle of great sailors and explorers. Fernando de Magallanes, Vasco de Fama, Bartolomé Díaz and Álvares Cabral are just some of the Portuguese discoverers that opened the great part of the world to Europe.
14. The Portuguese colonial empire existed for 600 years. It was the longest among the modern European empires! It was so extensive that it had to its credit what today are 53 different countries.
15. Specifically, Portuguese is an official language in 8 countries that are not Portugal. These are: Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and in São Tomé and Príncipe.
16. One of the curiosities of Portugal that they do not take pride in is that they were the first European nation that made a transatlantic slave trade. They brought slaves from Africa to the Americas.
17. It is important to emphasize that it was the first colonial power that dared to abolish slavery . Half a century before the British, the Spanish, the French and the Americans.
18. As we said, Lisbon, besides being a beautiful city, is very old! So much that it is even older than Rome. Its foundation is prior to that of this city in 400 years. In 1200 a. C., approximately, the Phoenicians founded a colony
Visiting it is more than recommended. As well as other spectacular places in the country, such as Porto or Sintra, we will present you in the following curiosities. If you decide to travel to Portugal , can find accommodation in the search engine Holidu .
19. Portugal was the sixth country in Europe to allow marriages between persons of the same sex. It happened in 2010.
20. We've talked to you about fado , the traditional music of the country. The concept "fado" is very present in the Portuguese culture, which has fame as a fatalist. The "fado" represents the idea that each person has a destiny from which it is not possible to escape. Hence the melancholy of its melodies and typical songs.
21. The largest wave surfed so far it was Portuguese . The Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa surpassed the Guinness Record by surfing a wave of 24.38 meters on the coast of Nazaré, Portugal, in November 2017.
22. Another curiosity about Portugal is that it is a member of the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world , which is still valid today. It is the one that signed in 1373 with England.
23. For lovers of literature traveling to Portugal the next destination is essential. The Bertrand bookstore (Livraria Bertrand), located in Lisbon, is the oldest bookstore in the world. It was founded in 1732.
24. Did you know that the soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo, is Portuguese ?
25. Portugal is the westernmost point of continental Europe. In particular, Cabo da Roca.
26. This country is the 17th safest in the world.
27. If you visit Portugal, you may want to see the longest bridge in Europe: the Vasco de Gama bridge. It measures 12,345 meters. Brutal!
28. Among the curiosities of Portugal also highlights that merchants of this country were the first Europeans to reach Japan, in 1543.
29. One of the Portuguese places that have the title of World Heritage Site, awarded by UNESCO, is Sintra. See what impressive corners there are in the park of the National Palace of Sintra!
30. Portugal, specifically Lisbon, was hit in 1755 by one of the worst earthquakes that have shaken Europe. It reached level 8.5 on the Richter scale and left tens of thousands of victims.
What do you think of these curiosities of Portugal ? Did you know them? Did you know about the fame of fatalists of the inhabitants of this country? And the terrible earthquake they suffered in the eighteenth century? Undoubtedly, it is one of the most interesting nations in Europe, and perhaps the world! And we recommend you visit it. We are sure you will love it! If you have already done it and you know more curious facts of the country, write us your comments! We will be happy to read you!