Portugal has a rich and varied history that dates back to the Middle Ages. Along with the British, Dutch, French and Spanish, it was hugely influential thanks to its strong seafaring capabilities. Portugal built up a vast empire at one point across the world, but its competitors gradually eroded its hold on the slave and spice markets.
Disastrous campaigns at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578, for example, did not help matters, nor did the 1755 earthquake, Napoleonic occupation and loss of colony Brazil. Furthermore, between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries, nearly 2 million people left Portugal’s shores for North and South America.
The monarchy ended in 1910, with the rest of the 20th century notable for corruption, bankruptcy, military coups and dictators. Portugal entered the European Union (then Community) in 1986, which brought some stability.
The Socialist Party headed by Prime Minister José Sócrates, a former environment minister, was elected into power in 2005 but struggled to spark growth or check unemployment. Sócrates’ government resigned in 2011 and was replaced by a centre-right coalition led by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho. The current leadership is focusing on cutting spending and raising taxes to meet the terms of a €78 billion aid plan from the EU and the International Monetary Fund, as the country’s borrowing costs have surged.
Portugal has been at the forefront of renewable energy development in Europe in recent years, with roughly 20% of its energy coming from renewable sources.
Roman Catholics make up around 85% of the population, but only about 20% of these regularly attend mass and take the sacraments. The remaining 15% is a mixture of Agnostic, Anglican, Atheist, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant communities, together with other religions that have been brought in through immigration over the years.
Social conventions:Portugal is a fascinating mix of culture and folklore, depending on what part of the country you are visiting. Traditional ranchos folclóricos folklore, which is often illustrated with dance and song, tends to dominate the smaller towns and villages, with art and drama bigger in the larger towns and cities.
The Portuguese are warm, hospitable people who revel in exhibitions, films, crafts, concerts, plays, café culture and also shopping malls (to combat the summer heat!). The summer festival season is a particularly pleasant experience, with football and bull fighting also enjoyed, along with the traditional religious activities that cater for the majority Catholic population.
Casual wear is widely acceptable, but you shouldn’t wear beach clothing in towns. Smoking has been prohibited in public indoor spaces since 2008 and the ban includes cinemas, theatres, buses and most restaurants.
European Portuguese is spoken in Portugal with different dialects throughout the country. Açoriano, Alentejano, Algarvio, Baixo-Beirão, Beirão, Estremenho and Madeirense are spoken in the central regions and south, with Alto-Minhoto, Nortenho and Transmontano in the northern parts. Barranquenho, Minderico and Mirandese are either spoken rarely or in a concentrated area like Barrancos and Miranda do Douro.
Brazilian Portuguese and languages native to Cape Verde, Ukraine, Angola, Guinea, the UK and Romania are also spoken widely due to the larger immigration of people from these particular places, along with other mostly European countries. Spanish can be understood and spoken in those areas nearer the Portuguese border.
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