Portugal

I am Portuguese, so I am from Portugal and in my country we speak Portuguese.

Portugal's political system is the Republic. The population here is about 10.6 million people.

Portugal is in the Atlantic Ocean and it has borders with Spain. The Açores and Madeira are also Portuguese.

Our currency is the Euro because Portugal has been a country member of the European Union since 1986.

Portugal has a total area of 92072 km². The capital city is Lisbon and other important cities are Porto and Braga.

Portugal is a country with a rich history of seafaring and discovery. Portugal's history has had a lasting impact on the culture of the country: Moorish and Oriental influences in architecture and the arts are prominent.

Over the past 3 000 years, Portugal has witnessed a constant ebb and flow of civilisations. Phoenician, Greek, Celt, Carthaginian, Roman and Arabic cultures have all left their imprint. In the 15th century, Portugal’s intrepid maritime explorers led by Vasco da Gama discovered new territories, leading to the accumulation of an overseas empire. At home, the university of Coimbra, established in 1290, is one of the oldest in Europe.

Some famous people from Portugal are Luís de Camões and Fernando Pessoa (poets), José Saramago (writer) and Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo(footballers) and José Mourinho (coach).

Each region of Portugal has its traditional dishes made with various kinds of meat and seafood. In particular, the country is particularly well known for its one hundred ways of cooking cod.

I wouldn't mind living in Portugal because I like its language, because it has beaches and because it is very close to Spain.