t2-g-2567182-portugal-information-powerpoint_ver_2.pptx

rf

1. Where Is Portugal? Portugal is the westernmost sovereign country of Europe. To the north and east, it shares its only border with Spain. Together, Spain and Portugal form the largest part of an area of Europe known as the Iberian Peninsula, which extends out from the west of mainland Europe. Portugal’s coast meets the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the south. Portugal

2. Facts about Portugal Portugal is officially called the Portuguese Republic. The capital city of Portugal is Lisbon, which lies on its west coast and is an important port. The official language spoken is Portuguese, though this has many different dialects (a different form of the language specific to a region) across the country. Portugal has a population of approximately 10,300,000. As well as the land on the continent, there is also Portuguese territory in the Atlantic Ocean – the Azores and Madeira ar e archipelagos (a group of islands) with their own governments. Portugal is a popular holiday destination thanks to its climate and coast.

3. The Portuguese Flag The flag of Portugal consists of two main colours: red and green. The Portuguese National Coat of Arms is positioned across the boundary of the two colours. The design of this flag was established in 1911, just after Portugal first became a republic It is divided vertically (but not evenly) into two parts: a small green portion on the side of the hoist (nearest the flag pole) and a large red section on the fly side (furthest away from the flag pole).

4. The foundations of the Portuguese language began thousands of years ago, when this western corner of Europe was first settled by the Celtic and other civilisations. In the periods that followed, there were many invasions of the territory, which brought influences that continued to build the language now known as Portuguese. These included Arabic, Galician and Greek. Speaking Portuguese By far, the greatest influence in Portuguese is Latin, which was first brought into the region by the Romans around 220 BC and was later reintroduced during the Renaissance in the 16 th century. Today, Portuguese is spoken by immigrant communities in countries all over the world, including France, Canada, Japan and USA. It is the official and native language of the majority of people in Portugal and also Brazil, while many other countries have declared Portuguese as an official language: Angola, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, East Timor and São Tomé and Prìncipe .

5. The important foundation of the majority of Mediterranean cooking, olive oil, also features highly in most Portuguese recipes! Portuguese Food Though only having an Atlantic coastline, Portugal is also heavily influenced by the Mediterranean diet, favouring fresh seafood, cured meats and vegetables. The Portuguese especially enjoy adding flavour to their dishes and use a range of herbs and spices to do this. Lunch is probably the most significant meal of the day and the mealtime the Portuguese take the most time to savour. Served between noon and 2.30pm, lunch can be something of a feast, often with at least three courses. A small continental style breakfast is common while dinner, eaten quite late in the evening (sometimes after 8.00pm), can be as much of a banquet as lunch, with several courses, often including the well-known Portuguese soup: Caldo Verde.

6. With many fishing ports and such a long Atlantic coastline, fish and seafood features strongly in the Portuguese diet. Cod is a staple of the Portuguese diet. It is usually bought dried and salted ( bacalhau in Portuguese) because, in Portugal’s past, there was no way of preserving food (refrigeration had not been invented), so the only way to maintain its freshness was to cure it (dry it and cover it in salt). A whole range of other fish and seafood is also popular in Portuguese cuisine today, including squid, prawns, mussels, sea bass and hake. Grilled sardines are commonly cooked during Portugal’s summer ‘ Festas ’ (festivals when patron saints are celebrated across the country). Cooked on a grill or barbecue with nothing more than olive oil and lemon, these represent the taste of the summer in Portugal. Portuguese Food: Fish and Seafood

7. The Portuguese use a range of herbs and spices in their cooking to add flavour, most notably coriander, parsley, mint and paprika. Portuguese Food: Herbs, Spices, Marinades Marinades are regularly used to add flavour to dishes. Piri piri , which is made from the bird’s-eye chilli, originated when Portuguese colonists in Africa discovered the now well-known plant, labelled the chilli peppers it produced ‘ Piri Piri ’ (which is Portuguese for ‘Pepper Pepper’) and used it to create the now world famous marinade. Garlic also features in many Portuguese dishes, such as this bread-based soup dish called Açorda , which relies on the garlic bulb for most of its flavour. The bird’s - eye chilli plant

8. It is often served alone as a supper or as a first course at lunch or dinner but it is most popular as a celebratory food during Portuguese festivals ( festas ) and at weddings or birthday celebrations. Probably the best-known soup in Portuguese cuisine, Caldo Verde (Green Soup) is made from potatoes; leafy, green vegetables; olive oil and salt. Sometimes meats and sausages can be added but this depends on the region in which the soup is cooked. Though its original recipe came from northern Portugal, it is now widely cooked and eaten across Portugal and in parts of the world where Portuguese immigrants have settled. Portuguese Food: Caldo Verde Caldo Verde, a green soup, with pepperoni added.

9. Bacalhau can be cooked and served in many different ways; the Portuguese often joke there is a recipe for every day of the 365 days each year! Bacalhau is often served with potatoes and green vegetables b ut as there are so many recipes, why not try researching some of your own? Bacalhau (dried and salted cod) is a staple food in the Portuguese diet. Despite neighbouring the Atlantic ocean, most of Portugal’s cod has always come from Norway, Iceland or Newfoundland. Because of the distance it had to travel, before the invention of refrigeration, fresh cod had to be preserved through the ancient process of drying and salting it. This tradition is still used today, so most of the cod consumed in Portugal is dried and salted. Portuguese Food: Bacalhau

10. The Portuguese education system is compulsory for all children from the age of six through to 18. It is state funded (free to attend) and divided up into six stages: Portuguese Education Just like in the UK, each school year starts in September but Portuguese pupils have a longer break in the summer as the school year finishes there in June. They have three holiday breaks during the year: Christmas, Carnival and Easter; they do not get any half-term holidays. The school day tends to be a lot longer than in the UK. It is quite common to start school at 9.00 a.m. and not finish until at least 4.45 p.m., though usually after 3.30 p.m. extra-curricular subjects, such as art, music and swimming, are taught as these are not part of the standard curriculum. Nursery (ages 0-2) Kindergarten (ages 3-5) Basic Education: 1 st cycle – Years 1–4 (ages 6–9) Basic Education: 2 nd cycle – Years 5–6 (ages 10–11) Basic Education: 3 rd cycle – Years 7–9 (ages 12–14) Secondary Education: Years 10–12 (ages 15–18)

11. Portuguese Culture Architecture Sport Religion Festivals Tourism

12. Many Portuguese buildings date from the 16 th century and demonstrate the Manueline (late gothic) style of architecture. Tower of Bélem Dating back to the 16 th century, the Tower of Bélem was constructed as a defence tower at the estuary of the river Tagus. The tower reaches 30 metres at its highest point and has four storeys. Today, the building can be visited as a tourist attraction and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Portuguese Architecture Jerónimos Monastery Jéronimos Monastery has also been given the status of UNESCO World Heritage. The building took 100 years to construct, mainly due to its meticulous, ornate design. With two main entrances, one of which – the south portal – towers above other parts of the building at 32 metres high, the monastery has tall pinnacles and carved figures, including a representation of the birth of Christ. back

13. Portuguese Sport Football Football is arguably the most popular Portuguese sport. With a European Championship win in 2016, the national football team ( Seleção Nacional) raised the profile of the country and demonstrated how significant the sport is in Portugal. Significant players of past and present include Eusébio , Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, while José Mourinho stands out as one Portugal’s best-known managers. Olympic Games Portugal won its first Olympic medal in 1924 and has achieved 24 medals in total, four of which have been gold and were attained in athletics. Jogo do Pau Some time during the 19 th century, an area of northern Portugal developed its own martial art, Jogo do Pau, in which a stick, or staff, is used to defend oneself. This art can nowadays only be witnessed in some areas of Portugal, as well as in the Azores and Madeira. back

14. Portugal: Religion Portugal does not declare itself to have any official religion. However, there is one religion that predominates whenever a census is completed. Christianity: Catholicism Like many of its European neighbours, Portugal has a high proportion of people declaring themselves Catholic. I n fact, in its most recent census, over 80% stated they were Catholic. The percentage of people who attend mass regularly is likely to be much less. However, practice can vary greatly depending on the region. Other Religions Thanks to immigration, other religions have started to emerge in Portugal since the late 20 th century, including Hinduism, Islam, Bahá'í , Judaism and Buddhism. back

15. Portuguese Festivals – Festa ! The Portuguese celebrate a number of ‘ Festa ’ (festivals) throughout the year, many of which revolve around a holy celebration or patron saint (most Portuguese towns have one). Semana Santa With Catholicism being the predominant religion across Portugal, Easter Holy Week is widely acknowledged and celebrated, starting on Palm Sunday and culminating in Easter Sunday. The city of Braga stands out for its famous processions and recreations of Christ’s final days. One of Braga’s Holy Week processions Festa de Santos Almost every Portuguese town and city celebrates a patron saint, often some time in June to welcome in the summer. The three most popular saints celebrated across the country are São Joao (Saint John), São Pedro (Saint Peter) and São Antonio (Saint Anthony), who is the patron saint of Lisbon, the capital. Huge celebrations take place, with street music and dancing, parades, processions and those all important griddled sardines! Festa de São Antonio in Lisbon back

16. With its Atlantic coastline, Mediterranean diet, southern European location, not to mention its cultural heritage and history, Portugal is one of Europe’s top tourist and holiday destinations. Portuguese: Tourism Hotspots Popular tourist destinations include Lisbon (the capital), the Algarve (southern coastal region), the Azores and Madeira (Portuguese islands) and Porto (second largest city). Activities Many people visit Portugal to enjoy the warm, sunny days and blue skies; thanks to its location, it can promise plenty of sunshine and dry weather. There are many other reasons people choose to visit the country: World Heritage sites (22 in total) Portuguese gothic ( Manueline ) architecture Festas (Festivals) throughout the year Mediterranean cuisine Benagil sea cave, the Algarve Lisbon, Portugal’s capital back