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Categories: Alcoutim
Categories: Algarve Coast
Categories: Alpendurada
Categories: Amarante
Categories: Amares
Categories: Aveiro
Categories: Avis
Categories: Azores (The Azores)
Categories: Baiao
Categories: Barca d'Alva
Categories: Batalha
Categories: Beja
Categories: Belmonte
Categories: Bitetos
Categories: Braga
Categories: Braganca
Categories: Bucaco
Categories: Caldas de Aregos
Categories: Casa de Sezim
Categories: Casa de Vila Verde
Categories: Casal de Loivos Viewpoint
Categories: Cascais
Categories: Castelo Branco
Categories: Castelo de Paiva
Categories: Castelo de Vide
Categories: Castelo Rodrigo
Categories: Castro Verde
Categories: Cervaes
Categories: Chaves
Categories: Coa Museum
Categories: Coa Valley
Categories: Coimbra
Categories: Comporta
Categories: Conimbriga
Categories: Costa Verde Portugal
Categories: Crato
Categories: Douro Valley
Categories: Elvas
Categories: Entre-Os-Rios
Categories: Estoril
Categories: Estremoz
Categories: Evora
Categories: Fatima
Categories: Favaios
Categories: Felgar
Categories: Ferradosa
Categories: Figueira da Foz
Categories: Folgosa
Categories: Guarda
Categories: Guimaraes
Categories: Lamego
Categories: Leiria
Categories: Leverinho
Categories: Lisbon
Categories: Lixa Pier
Categories: Lousa
Categories: Madeira
Categories: Mafra
Categories: Mangualde
Categories: Marialva
Categories: Marvao
Categories: Mateus
Categories: Matosinhos
Categories: Melres
Categories: Monastery of Saint John of Tarouca
Categories: Monfortinho
Categories: Monsaraz
Categories: Montemor-o-Novo
Categories: Nazare
Categories: Obidos
Categories: Pala
Categories: Palma
Categories: Peneda Geres National Park
Categories: Penhas Dourdas
Categories: Peso da Regua
Categories: Pinhao
Categories: Pocinho
Categories: Ponte de Lima
Categories: Porches
Categories: Porto
Categories: Porto Antigo
Categories: Porto Santo
Categories: Europe
Categories: Praia da Rocha
Categories: Praia de Santa Cruz
Categories: Praia di Vitoria Azores
Categories: Queluz
Categories: Quinta da Aveleda
Categories: Quinta da Avessada
Categories: Quinta da Roeda
Categories: Quinta do Bonfim
Categories: Quinta do Portal
Categories: Quinta do Seixo
Categories: Resende
Categories: Santarem Portugal
Categories: Sao Salvador
Categories: Serra da Estrela
Categories: Setubal
Categories: Silves
Categories: Sintra
Categories: Teloes
Categories: Tomar
Categories: Viana do Castelo
Categories: Vidago
Categories: Vila do Conde
Categories: Vila Nova de Gaia
Categories: Vila Real
Categories: Vila Real de Santo Antonio
Categories: Vilamoura
Categories: Viseu
Sun-drenched beaches of the Algarve, exclusive golf resorts, medieval hilltop towns, colorful fishing villages, a cosmopolitan capital, the vine-filled valley of the Douro, wild remote mountains—Portugal has it all. But Europe's oldest country, which has had its eyes melancholically set on the sea and on a lost and glorious past, has turned its head toward Europe and is undergoing a profound modernization. Still, things move a bit more slowly in Portugal, devagar as residents say, and some 16 million tourists seem to like the pace.
The social contrasts are still bigger there than in any other country in western Europe. But Europe's former "poor house" is on its way to becoming a nice mansion with a sea view. The young Portuguese still listen to fado, and the students of Coimbra still wear their traditional outfits, but they party in stylish cafes and bars.
There is no better way to experience Portugal than to sit down in a street cafe with a bica (espresso) or a glass of port as you watch the world go by. And when you leave Portugal, you will probably feel saudades (a feeling of longing for something that is gone but might return). But unlike King Sebastian, you can always return.
Portugal is a long, narrow country on the Iberian Peninsula, at the southwestern edge of Europe. Mountains run through the central, northern and eastern parts of the country, and to the west the Atlantic Ocean meets an extensive seacoast, creating many excellent harbors. In the southernmost province of the Algarve, beaches, marshes and cliffs mark the coast.
Two island groups in the Atlantic, the Azores and Madeira, are also part of Portugal. Both are green and fairly remote.
Outsiders have flocked to Portugal's shores before—as invaders. The region—called Lusitania by the Romans—was occupied by Phoenicians, Celts, Romans, Germanic tribes and Arabs, among others. The foundation of the nation-state we know today as Portugal was laid in 1139 when Afonso Henriques, the country's first king, declared independence from Leon and Castile.
As a result of naval expansion, from 1400 to 1600 Portugal was a major colonial power, developing territories in South America, Africa, India and Asia. That 200-year era has come to be known as Portugal's Golden Age. (Portugal only relinquished the last of those colonies in 1975.)
The Golden Age ended in a series of costly wars with Spain. The Portuguese monarchy gradually lost the respect of its citizens, who ousted the last king in 1910. After two decades of turmoil, Dr. Antonio de Oliveira Salazar emerged as Portugal's unquestioned leader. Salazar, who ruled as prime minister for more than 35 years, isolated Portugal from the rest of Europe and clung to power through a brutal police force that censored virtually anyone who opposed him.
Salazar suffered a stroke in 1968 and died two years later. His regime died shortly thereafter, and by 1976 Portugal had become a true democracy. It joined the European Union in 1986, which led to widespread development and investment in infrastructure. However, the financial crises precipitated by the banks resulted in the country having to apply to the International Monetary Fund and the European Union for bail-out loans to help stabilize its economy.
Portuguese culture today contains remnants of the conquering and conquered cultures, but the modern Portuguese way of life is not entirely constrained by the past, as evidenced by the development of tourism, particularly in the Algarve.
Portugal's main attractions include old-world European culture, beaches, resorts, deep-sea fishing, archaeology, history, scenery, festivals, churches, monasteries, castles and friendly people.
Those who like beaches, pretty scenery, good food and a wide variety of active nightlife (in the main cities and resorts) will enjoy Portugal.
Lisbon and Coimbra are rivals when it comes to fado, a traditional, mournful style of music whose lyrics express longing and sorrow. Both cities claim to have preserved the purest form of the music. In either city, however, you can hear the black-clad singers, accompanied by guitar and viola.
Portugal's King Sebastian, who ruled in the 16th century, is one of the most charismatic figures in the country's history. A sickly, unstable young man—or a visionary dreamer, depending on your point of view—he launched a crusade against the Islamic infidels in 1578. At the Battle of the Three Kings in Morocco, he was killed and his army of 18,000 completely routed. Well into the 19th century, many clung to the belief that Sebastian had only been captured and would someday return to claim the throne.
Legend says that the Algarve's numerous almond trees, whose white petals cover the ground during January and February, were planted by a Muslim king whose Scandinavian wife missed the snow of her homeland.
Algarve gets its name from the Arabic term al-Gharb (the West). The province once marked the westernmost point of Muslim expansion in the Middle Ages.
Portuguese writer Jose Saramago won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1998.
Half the hotel beds in the country are in the Algarve.
Porto or Oporto? The two spellings for the northern Portuguese city stem from a misunderstanding. Foreign visitors to Porto often heard the locals say, "O porto," meaning "to the port," and they took it to be the name of the city. The new version became the accepted name in most languages (other than Portuguese, that is).
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