visitportugal | Portugal Travel

Portugal is a perfect year-round destination, with a mild climate, 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, 850 km of magnificent Atlantic beaches, and is only a few hours away from any European capital.

This country has the oldest border in Europe, a very diverse landscape, many leisure activities and unique cultural heritage, where tradition and modernity are harmoniously combined.

There are also good food and wine, and the Portuguese people are friendly and hospitable, which can provide you with a variety of high-quality tourism services, whether you are here for a weekend or a long vacation.

Geography

Portugal is located in the most southwestern part of Europe and includes the Madeira and Azores archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean. In mainland Europe, Portugal's territory occupies an area of ​​88,889 square kilometers (218 kilometers from east to west, 561 kilometers from north to south, and has 832 kilometers of Atlantic coastline and a 1.215-kilometer border with Spain).

The Azores are located in the Atlantic Ocean, between the European and North American continents, and have an area of ​​2.355 square kilometers. The archipelago consists of nine islands, namely San Miguel and Santa Maria in the east, Del Serra, Galiciosa, San Giorgio, Pico, Fario in the center, and Flores and Corre in the west. The archipelago is mainly connected to the Portuguese mainland by air, with a flight about every two hours.

Madeira has 741 square kilometers of land, located in the Atlantic Ocean more than 500 kilometers from the coast of Africa and 1,000 kilometers from the European continent (the flight time from Lisbon is one hour and thirty minutes). It consists of two islands, Madeira and Porto Santo, and some other islands that have not been developed by humans. These pristine deserted islands are the best places for natural environment.

Climate

Mainland Portugal

Due to different terrain factors, latitude factors, and ocean factors, there are obvious differences in climate between regions in Portugal. Porto and northern and central Portugal, especially in the areas close to Spain, are the coldest places in the country in winter, but the temperature in these areas is relatively mild compared to other parts of Europe. Some snowfall is recorded elsewhere in Portugal, but only in the Estrela region. It is the highest point on the Portuguese mainland (1991 metres) and you can go skiing there. Summers are hot and dry, especially in the inland areas (northeast of the country and Alentejo), while the coast is milder due to the influence of the sea. Autumn is often sunny and mild. Early November is often called "San Martin's summer" due to the coming of San Martin's Day (November 11).

Azores

The climate of the Azores is characterized by mild temperatures throughout the year, due to the influence of its latitude and the periodicity of the Gulf Stream. These factors keep the sea temperature comfortable both in summer and winter, allowing you to practice a variety of marine sports at any time. Madeira Islands The climate of Madeira Islands is characterized by a subtropical climate due to its latitude and mountainous terrain.

Madeira

The climate of Madeira Islands is characterized by a subtropical climate due to its latitude and mountainous terrain. Madeira has an unusually mild climate, with an average summer temperature of 24 degrees Celsius and an average winter temperature of 19 degrees Celsius. Also influenced by the Gulf Stream, the sea temperature remains very pleasant all year round, with an average winter temperature of 18 degrees Celsius and a summer temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.

Population

The population of Portugal is about 10 million.

The Lisbon metropolitan area (the city and surrounding areas) has a higher population density, with about 2.8 million people living there. The second largest city is Porto, in the north of the country. In general, coastal areas are more densely populated than inland areas.

Religion

The majority of the Portuguese people are Catholics, but the Portuguese Church grants people freedom of religious belief, which has led to the emergence of a variety of religious beliefs in Portugal.

Language

The Portuguese language originated from Latin and is spoken by about 250 million people in the world. It ranks fifth among the world's popular languages. If we narrow it down to European languages, Portuguese ranks third.

Countries that use Portuguese as an official language are distributed in four regions of the world. In Africa, they are mainly Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe; in South America, they are mainly Brazil; in Asia, they are mainly East Timor, the youngest country in the world.

In Portugal, most people can communicate in English, French and Spanish.