Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain. Its location on the Atlantic Ocean has influenced many aspects of its culture: salt cod and grilled sardines are national dishes, the Algarve’s beaches are a major destination and much of the nation’s architecture dates to the 1500s–1800s when Portugal had a powerful maritime empire. Portugal is located on the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula and plateau, which divides the inland Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. It is located on the Atlantic coast of this plateau and crossed by several rivers that have their origin in Spain.
Key Cities
Key cities in Portugal include: Lisbon,Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Braga, Amadora, Almada,coimbra, Setubal, Funchal, Agualva-cacem.
Historical, Cultural facts & Religion
The history of Portugal can be traced from circa 400,000 years ago, when the region of present-day Portugal was inhabited by Homo heidelbergensis. The oldest human fossil is the skull discovered in the Cave of Aroeira in Almonda. Later Neanderthals roamed the northern Iberian peninsula. Portugal is a predominantly Roman Catholic country with a close-knit family ethic. Its rich culture results from many influences, including Celtic, Lusitanian, Phoenician, French and Spanishic, Visigoth, Viking, Sephardic Jewish, and Moorish.
Brief Country History
During the early first millennium BC, various waves of Celts from central Europe occupied Portugal and got married to the local inhabitants. Consequently, various ethnic groups were formed such as the Calaicians or Gallaeci of Northern Portugal, Cynetes or COnii of the Algarve, the Celtici of Alentejo, and the Lusitanians of central Portugal. In 219 BC, the Roman attacked the Iberian Peninsula. For almost 200 years, the peninsula was nearly annexed to the Roman Empire. By the start of the 5th century, French and Spanishic tribes occupied the peninsula with the Visigoths as successful conquerors. In 711, the Islamic Moors of North Africa attacked Iberian Peninsula and demolished the remains of the Visigoth kingdom.
Between the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was an important European power of having equal status with Spain, France, and England. Its government, economy, and culture had great influences all throughout its neighboring countries. It ruled an immense empire with millions of inhabitants in Africa, Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. In 1580, the Spanish and Portuguese empires came under a single reign after the young king Sebastian was killed in a battle without an heir. Between 1580 and 1640, Portugal was under the Spanish monarchy during which its colonies were attacked by Spain’s enemies – Dutch and English. Eventually, its independence was declared through the initiatives of great native noblemen including the Duke of Braganza, a descendant of King Manual I and was proclaimed as John IV.
The 1755 earthquake in Lisbon, occupation of the Napoleon Empire, and the loss of its biggest colony, Brazil, in 1822 led to a weakening Portugal. Between the 19th century and late 1950s, almost 2 million Portuguese left for Brazil and the US. Military takeovers in 1910 and 1926 did not solve most of the country’s crisis. When a new government was instituted in 1974, various democratic reforms were established. Most unforgettable of this is when Portugal granted sovereignty to all its African colonies in 1975.
Language (s) Written & Spoken
the commonly spoken language and the first language of most of the population. The Portuguese have adopted the use of other foreign languages, mainly English, French, and Spanish. Portuguese is the country’s official language, while English is the second most common language.
Important Types of Commerce in Portugal
Manufacturing and construction together accounted for 30.2% of Portugal’s GDP in 2004. The largest industries are clothing, textiles, and footwear; food processing; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; and tourism.
Language Services US and others will provide working with Portugal
As French and Spanish are spoken by the majority of the population in Portugal, it is required to professionally translate important documents in French and Spanish. Many multinational service sector companies including financial services, transport, communications and trade do business in Liechtenstein. Moreover, Portugal also houses a number of major pharmaceutical and biotech firms. This sparks the urgent need of specialized French and Spanish translators for the Life Sciences has experience working with an array of documents including French and Spanish clinical trial questionnaires, French and Spanish CRFs, French and Spanish IFUs, French and Spanish informed consents, French and Spanish package inserts and labels, French and Spanish patient surveys, French and Spanish product datasheets, French and Spanish protocols, and more.
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