|
Portugal
Factfile |
 Portugal |
 |
Introduction |
|
The final country HMS Endurance is visiting before she returns to Portsmouth on her 2005/6 deployment is Portugal. Situated in the extreme southwest corner of Europe, Portugal occupies roughly one-sixth of the Iberian Peninsula with a population of just over 10,500,000. To the south and west, 830km of coastline meets the Atlantic Ocean, and to the north and east, a border measuring approximately 1,300 km separates Portugal from its only neighbouring country, Spain. Included in Portugal’s territory are the Atlantic achipelagos of Madeira and the Azores.
Map of Portugal
Over the centuries, Portugal has witnessed a constant flow of civilizations and each one has made an imprint on the country’s history, culture, language and ethnic make up. The naming of Portugal itself reveals most of the country’s early history, stemming from the Roman name Portus Cale, a possibly mixed Greek and Latin name meaning “Beautiful Port”, or even mixed Celtic and Latin.
Sculpture on the Discoveries Age and Portuguese Navigators in Lisbon.
Once a major economic, political and cultural power with an empire stretching from Brazil to the Indies, Portugal is one of Europe’s most fascinating nations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
