Fascinating facts about Portugal

• Portugal is named after its 2nd largest city, Porto

 

• The capital city of Portugal is Lisbon

 

• The Portuguese language is spoken by about 230 million people and is the official language of 9 countries

 

• The dialing code for Portugal is (00) 351

 

• June 10th is Portugal’s National Day

 

• The country of Portugal was founded by Alfonso Henriques, in 1152

 

• The main religion in Portugal is Roman Catholic

 

• Portugal abolished slavery in 1761

 

• Portugal is a democratic republic and joined the EU in 1986

 

• Before the introduction of the Euro, Portugal’s currency was the Portuguese Escudo

 

• Portugal is most famous for its Port Wine, Azulejos (tile painting and glazing) and Salted Cod

 

• As of 2014, Portugal holds NO Michelin 3* restaurant, but does have two Michelin 2* restaurants and ten Michelin 1* restaurants

 

• As of 2013, Portugal has 15 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, of which 14 are cultural sites and 1 natural

 

• Over half the World’s cork is produced in Portugal

 

• The most popular sport in Portugal is football (soccer) with Benfica holding the Guinness World record for the football club most widely supported in the World

 

• Portugal is one of the world’s top surf spots with a coastline of 800 kilometers

 

Visit Portugal on one of our private Portuguese Culture, Food and Wine Tours to see the wonderful historic treasures and fascinating culture of this country and taste port wine, local foods and much, much more!