Portugal World Geography - Europe

Portugal - Location• Continent: Europe

Portugal - Overview• Capital and largest city: Lisbon

Portugal - Overview

• Population: 10,813,834 (July 2014 est.)

• World rank: 80th

Portugal – Area Comparison

• Slightly smaller than the state of Indiana

Portugal – Physical Geography

• Sits on the Iberian Peninsula with Spain

• Borders the Atlantic Ocean

• Border country:– Spain

Portugal – Geography

Portugal - Geography

• Climate: temperate climate; cool and rainy to the north, warmer and drier in the south

• In the 1400s and 1500s, Portugal was a global power during Europe’s “Age of Discovery”

• Had a strong navy

Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the first European to reach India by sea

Portugal - History

Portugal - History

• In 1755, Portugal was weakened when much of its capital city, Lisbon, was destroyed in an earthquake

• During the Napoleonic Wars, Portugal would be occupied by France

Depiction of the Great Lisbon Earthquake

Portugal - History

• In 1822, Portugal’s largest colony, Brazil, was granted independence

• In 1910, Portugal’s monarchy would be overthrown

Brazil

Portugal - History

• In 1926 a military coup established a dictatorship

• In April 1974, another coup would lead to democratic reforms

• The 1974 coup was called the “carnation revolution” as no shots were fired

Troops in Lisbon during the 1926 Coup

Portugal - Government

• Government type: Republic; parliamentary democracy

São Bento Palace, meeting place of the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic

Portugal - Economy

• Monetary unit: Euro• Debt has been an

economic problem• Textile and tourism

industries are important

Portugal - Economy

• GDP per capita: $22,900 (2013 est.)

• World rank: 64th

Portugal - Culture

• Language: Portuguese

• Religion: 81% Roman Catholic

Monastery of Batalha, a UNESCO World Heritage site

Portugal - Culture• Football (Soccer in the U.S.) is the most

popular sport