From football icon Cristiano Ronaldo to the Vasco de Gama bridge, the fascinating country of Portugal is brimmed with exciting and fun facts that not only have modern-day surprises but also acquaint us with its achievements and contributions to world history.
So, you need to know these lesser-known facts about Portugal.
1. Food
1.1 World’s Largest Omelet Was Cooked for 6 Hours
On August 11, a group of locals went extra hungry during the immigrant festival in Santarem, Portugal. Their hunger was satisfied to the point that they surpassed the expectations of the whole world when they were presented with the record-breaking omelette.
Made of 145,000 eggs, 220lbs of butter, and the efforts of 55 chefs led by the head, Pedro Mendes, this omelette took 6 hours of cooking and is known to be the most enormous omelette in the world, thus holding the position amongst the world’s records.
1.2 National Drink is Wine
You may know of France and Spain as great wine producers. But one of the lesser-known facts about Portuguese wine is its unmatched level. Its exports date back to Roman times.
Additionally, Portugal’s national beverage is port wine. A fortified, sweet, and alcoholic drink, Port wine matures in steel tanks for two to six years.
1.3 Tradition of Afternoon Tea Comes from Portugal
The British are reputed for their tradition of afternoon tea. But a lesser-known and perhaps one of the most interesting facts is that this tradition was initially derived from the culture of Portugal.
The wife of the English king Charles II was a Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza. When she moved to England with the crown on her head and tea leaves in her suitcase, little did she know that her Portuguese tradition of afternoon tea and cakes would change the British culture forever.
1.4 Canned Fish Culture Has Roots in Portugal
Usually, canned food is reserved for days when supplies are scarce. However, the case is different regarding canned fish in Portugal, which is one of the exciting things about Portugal!
Portugal has a variety of fish in canned form, including tuna, codfish, sardines, and mackerel, with olive oil being the most common sauce. Further, canned fish is widely available in restaurants in Portugal as an appetizer.
2. History And Geography
2.1 The Portuguese Empire Was Europe’s Longest-Lasting Dynasty
With its bases in North America, South America, Africa, and parts of Oceania and Asia, the Portuguese empire spread across the globe in the 15th century.
In 1999, the handing over its last colony, Macau, to China marked an end to the widespread expansion. Lasting six centuries, the empire of Portugal was Europe’s longest-lasting dynasty and the first global empire.
2.2 Slavery
Among the many interesting facts about Portugal, it was the first European country to participate significantly in the trade of African slaves in the 15th century.
However, it also holds the status of being the first country to eradicate slavery, long before colonial powers like the United States, Spain, France, and Britain.
2.3 Lisbon: One of the Oldest Settlements
Portugal’s capital and the metropolitan city of Lisbon is one of the world’s oldest settlements, having existed for hundreds of years longer than significant European cities like Rome, London, and Paris.
With its archaeological findings dating back to 1200 BC, even Portugal is some thousand years older than Lisbon in terms of history.
2.4 Death Penalty
Pioneering the policy, Portugal announced the formal abolishment of the death penalty for all crimes in 1911, which included political, military, and civil offences.
Although a re-establishment occurred on military grounds during World War 1, the death penalty was abolished entirely in 1976. Lagos is known to have witnessed Portugal’s final execution in 1846.
2.4 Westerly Point
Located in Sintra, Portugal, cape Cabo da Roca is the most westerly point of continental Europe. Cabo da Roca is about 25 miles west-northwest of Lisbon on the district’s Atlantic Coast.
Moreover, Portugal remains the most western point even when the islands of continental Europe are considered.
3. Language
3.1 Official Language
If you think Portuguese is merely spoken in Portugal, here is an interesting fact!
Portuguese is widely spoken worldwide and is the official language of ten countries. These include Mozambique, Angola, Brazil, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome, Timor-Leste, Cape Verde, Principe, and Portugal.
This popularity primarily emerged from Portugal’s imperial aspirations.
3.2 Native Speakers
The native Portuguese speakers that live in Portugal account for only 5% of the whole population in Portugal, which is not an unlikely statistic.
This is because 220 million people speak Portuguese as their mother tongue, the official language of 10 other nations. These native speakers are referred to as Lusophones.
3.3 A Fast-Growing Language
The language has emerged as the fastest-growing European language after English. This is mainly due to the rapidly expanding populace of Portuguese speakers across continents like Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia.
According to UNESCO, it also has the potential to hold the status of a global communication language.
3.4 Romance Language
You would be surprised to know that the language of Portugal is among the many Romance languages. Its development shares roots with the Romans, who settled on the Iberian peninsula, present-day Portugal and Spain.
These Roman soldiers spoke vulgar Latin, a dialect of spoken Latin that serves as the foundation for all romance languages.
3.5 23 Letters
The language’s limited letter count, only 23 as of 2009, is one of the most fascinating facts about Portuguese.
The letters that were not a part of the alphabetical order of the Portuguese language were K, W, and Y. While the K was swapped with “qu”, only foreign proper nouns had the sound of w and y.
However, Portuguese-speaking nations came together in 2009 to sign an Orthographic accord. It introduced K, W, and Y as alphabets and regulated spelling conventions for various varieties of Portuguese.
4. Architecture
4.1 Fatima Sanctuary
One of the lesser-known yet most significant pilgrimage spots in the world, the shrine of Fatima, is located in the catholic city of pilgrimage, Fatima, in Portugal.
The second most visited pilgrimage site in Europe, the shrine is of great interest to Roman catholic pilgrims, primarily. It gained popularity as a result of the 1917 appearances of the Virgin Mary to three young shepherd children.
4.2 Livraria Bertrand
Home to bibliophiles in Lisbon and holding intellectual and literary conversation within its building, the Livraria Bertrand has the Guinness World record for being the world’s oldest bookstore, which is currently in operation.
Initiated in 1732, the now historic centre was opened by Pedro Faure. The 1755 earthquake in Lisbon caused profound damage to the bookstore, leading to its relocation. Directly situated in the Chiado district, Livraria Bertrand has over 50 branches throughout Portugal.
4.3 University Of Coimbra
One of the world’s oldest universities was founded and further established by Portuguese scholars at Coimbra in 1290. In 2013, the University of Coimbra was designated a UNESCO world heritage site.
The campus, which dates back to the 16th century and was built on the site of an old palace, is now a heavily visited tourist destination.
4.4 Vasco Da Gama Bridge
Named after the famous Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the bridge held the record for being the longest European bridge till 2018, when the Crimean Bridge replaced it.
Opened in 1998, the cable-stayed Vasco da Gama bridge is over 12 kilometres long. The bridge is popularly known for Vasco de Gama’s journey to India from the Atlantic Ocean, making him the first European to reach the subcontinent by sea.
4.5 National Tile Museum
Portugal is interestingly regarded as the country of tiles due to the extensive tile usage in the designs of floors and walls. Given this fact, Portugal has a National tile museum located in the capital city, Lisbon.
Established in 1509, the museum displays the evolution of Portugal’s rich history of traditional tilework from the 15th century to the present in a fascinating series of tile collections.
5. People
5.1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Known as one of the best players in football history, Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Portugal. In addition to captaining the National team of Portugal, his accomplished career included playing forward for Juventus, the Italian club.
Presently, the football icon has moved to a Saudi club called Al-Nassr in what has become the most astonishing transfer in recent times. With about 189 appearances in Portugal matches, he has won two trophies for Portugal.
5.2 Garret McNamara
The world’s biggest wave generator can be found on the Portuguese coastline due to an underwater canyon.
Surfer Garrett McNamara from Hawaii set a new world record in February 2011 when he rode a massive wave that measured an incredible 78 feet tall off the Portuguese coast of Nazaré. Although an American, his set record has made him well-known all over the entire country of Portugal.
5.3 Life Expectancy Of People
Compared to most highly developed nations, Portugal has a more considerable gender disparity concerning health.
For men in Portugal, the life expectancy at birth is 78.07 years, while for women in Portugal, it is 83.67 years, according to Statistics Portugal data from 2021.
As a result, Portugal reports a six-year gap between men and women in life expectancy.
5.4 Peaceful Country
It is the people who are responsible for the atmosphere of their country. On that note, Portugal seems to have a sensible population, given their position on the global peace index.
As of 2021, Portugal acquired the 4th position in the global peace index, thus emerging as one of the most peaceful countries after Iceland, New Zealand, and Denmark.
Given the non-violent nature of the Portuguese people and the eventual low crime records, Portugal is one of the most secure countries in the world; this is yet another significant fact about Portugal.
5.5 The Religion Of the People
You would be surprised to know that around 80% of the citizens of Portugal identify as Roman Catholics, making Portugal a primarily Catholic nation. While the majority of this population is non-practising, the number of people who attend mass is still higher than in countries like the UK and Germany.
Portugal was a part of the Roman Empire when Christianity first arrived in the country. One can say that religion plays a significant role in the country’s culture and history, with pilgrimages and religious festivals being a central point in Portugal.
6. Economy
6.1 Port Wine Export
Along with being the national drink, port wine is also the most famous export of Portugal, with countries like France, Germany, and the US being major buyers.
The UNESCO World Heritage site, Douro Valley, is one of the oldest wine-producing regions and is the only place where port wine grapes are cultivated. The value of Portuguese wine exports increased by as much as 4.5% in 2020 despite a decline in the global wine trade.
6.2 Cork Export
Portugal is home to the world’s largest cork forest, with its cork exports being sent all over the globe. Not only does Portugal account for 65% of cork exports worldwide, but it is also a significant importer of cork.
Meanwhile, the UK, the US, and Germany are the biggest importers of Portuguese cork. The value of Portuguese cork exports reached a record high of $1.269 billion in 2021.
6.3 Renewable Energy
In recent years, Portugal has demonstrated its capability to use renewable energy sources to satisfy all its needs related to domestic electricity. Over 70% of its energy is acquired from renewable resources like hydropower, wind, and solar power. Portugal is set to have one of the biggest photovoltaic farms in the world.
A floating wind farm and the wave roller, which harnesses the energy and power generated by ocean waves, are two examples of its innovative features.
6.4 Currency
In 1999, Portugal became one of the first countries to adopt the euro by replacing the Portuguese escudo, its original currency. The escudo was briefly allowed alongside the euro before its circulation was gradually closed on 28 February 2022. The escudo to euro exchange rate was 200$482 to 1 when Portugal joined the eurozone in 1999.
6.5 Economic Freedom
Portugal ranks as the 30th freeest economy in the 2023 index, with an economic freedom score of 69.5. This positions Portugal in the 18th place out of the 44 nations in the European region, with a score that is higher than both the global and regional averages.
7. Government
7.1 Shortest Reigning Monarch
An interesting fact about the country is that the 1887-born Portuguese king, Crown Prince Luis Filipe, held the title of a monarch for only 20 minutes, after which Carlos, his father, assassinated him. His brief reign was brought to an end on 1 February 1908.
7.2 Oldest Nation-State
Holding the same established borders since 1139, Portugal is one of the oldest nation-states of the world. It has a history and culture which dates back some 800 years. Additionally, its territorial border has generally been secure and stable.
7.3 Oldest Alliance
The Treaty of Windsor in 1386 formulated the Anglo-Portuguese alliance. It is known as the oldest alliance in recorded history. The Kingdom of England and Portugal joined forces on May 19, 1386, which marked the beginning of the alliance. Still in force today, the alliance is over 600 years old!
Portugal entails fascinating tales of history, a vibrant culture, a peaceful population, beautiful architecture, and a strong economy.
After learning about the diverse facts about this fascinating country, one can only be curious about what more Portugal has to offer to the world.
Last Updated on November 6, 2023 by Ms.Hazarika
