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Portugal is famous for its explorations of the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries. At that time--Portugal’s most glorious era--the Portuguese
discoverers carried the cross of Christ and the flag of Portugal to the most remote parts
of the world. Their purpose was two-fold. They purposed to expand the kingdom and
evangelize the world. Slightly larger than the state of Maine, Portugal once had lands
that extended to Africa, Asia, and South America. Today, the Portuguese territories
consist solely of Continental Portugal, and the archipelagos of Azores and Madeira.
Occupying the smallest part of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is located in Southwestern
Europe. Continental Portugal covers an area of 34,340 square miles (88,000 square
kilometers).
Portugal is bordered by Spain in the North and in the East, and by the Atlantic Ocean
in the South and in the West. Its highest elevation is Serra da Estrela, measuring
6,539 feet (1,993 meters) above sea level, and its lowest is sea level. Portugal's
official name is República Portuguesa. Lisbon is the capital and largest city of
Portugal, and the official language is Portuguese. The population of Portugal is about
11,000,000. The main religion in Portugal is Roman Catholicism. Portugal's chief
agricultural products are almonds, corn, figs, grapes, olives, citrus fruits, rice and
wheat. The fishing industry consists mainly of cod, tuna, and sardines. Manufacturing
produces textiles, clothing, leather goods, metals, machinery, and ships, as well as
processed foods, cork, and petroleum.
Portugal is mainly flat. However, there are plains in the southern and western
coasts, mountain ranges in the central, northeastern and southwestern regions, and planaltos
or mesas in the northern and southern parts of the country. Farms and
fishing villages thrive in the coastal plains. Two of Portugal's main ports, Lisbon and
Porto, are in this area. The northern and southern plateaus, and the central ranges
are extensions of the large Meseta that forms most of Spain. These regions are used
to farm and raise livestock. Portugal has eleven provinces. They are Minho,
Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Douro Litoral, Beira Litoral, Beira Alta, Beira Baixa;
Estremadura, Ribatejo, Alto Alentejo, Baixo Alentejo and Algarve.
The majority of the Portuguese people live in rural areas, and make a living by
fishing, farming, and raising livestock. The sea has always been of extreme importance to
the Portuguese. Portugal's countryside is strewn with fishing villages. In small fishing
boats, fishermen risk their lives at high sea to make a catch. However, the Portuguese
also treasure the land. Favored by a temperate climate and the fertile soil, farmers grow
a variety of crops, but it is of their grapes that they are most proud. Portugal's fine
wines are appreciated at home and abroad. In some parts of the country, wine makers still
follow the ancestral tradition of crushing the grapes with their bare feet. Farming
methods are still antiquated in Portugal. Most landowners have small farms, and produce
only enough food for their families. They lack machinery and use oxen to plow the land.
The country has to import grain to feed the rest of its people. Sheep and goats, cattle,
and swine are important sources of protein in the diet of the Portuguese. The wealth of a
farmer can be measured by the size of his flocks, herds, and droves.
Once a world power, Portugal is today a poor country. However, its economy is slowly
developing. Manufacturing, tourism, and exportation of manpower are strengthening its
economy. Many Portuguese work in textile, steel refining, and hydroelectric industries.
Many others work in more affluent neighboring countries (e.g. France), and send their
earnings home. Portugal has several natural resources. There are deposits of coal in the
North of the country, and copper in the Southeast. There is also Wolframite, a mineral
used in the manufacturing of a metal called tungsten, in the mountainous areas. However,
these resources are yet to be tapped.
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