The Republic of Portugal is a small country with a warm climate, picturesque nature and rich history. This is the most western country in Europe, in the territory of which is located one of the extreme points of the continent of Eurasia. What characterizes the geographical position of Portugal? You will find a photo and description of the main features of the country in our article.
Warm Port
Portugal covers an area of ββonly 92,151 km 2 and is ranked 109th in the world in size. As an integral and independent country, it appeared on the world stage in 1143, turning from a county into a kingdom.
Due to the peculiarities of the geographical position of Portugal, its territory was never empty and was inhabited even before our era. At different times, Lusitans, Romans, Visigoths, and even Arabs lived within its borders. The location on the coast contributed to the development of the state as an important seaport at the intersection of trade routes between the continents. Even the name of the country comes from the Roman name of the settlement Portus Cale, which from Latin translates as βWarm portβ.
In the era of the great geographical discoveries, it was from Portugal that the first trade and research expeditions went to Africa, Asia, North and South America. Sailors of this country discovered Brazil, the Ascension Island and St. Helena, Mauritius, the Tristan de Cugna archipelago, Madagascar, opened the sea route to Japan. Later, the Portuguese kingdom owned dozens of colonies in Africa, the North Atlantic, Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf.
Today the country is a parliamentary republic. It is home to 10.3 million people. By the number of inhabitants, Portugal surpasses Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, but is inferior to them in economic development. It is part of the Schengen zone, is a member of NATO, UN, EU, OECD and the community of Portuguese-speaking countries.
Geographical location of Portugal (briefly)
Portugal is located in the southwestern part of Eurasia, occupying one sixth of the Iberian Peninsula. It also includes several islands located in the waters of the Atlantic. Madeira Island is 600 km away from it, and the Azores are 1,500 km away.
The geographical position of the country of Portugal on the mainland is characterized by isolation. Of all the European states on land, it borders only with Spain, which occupies the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. From the west and south, Portugal is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Cadiz, which belongs to it. On the other side of the bay, about 250-300 kilometers from the country, is Morocco.
Portugal is very elongated from north to south. In this direction, its length is 550 kilometers. From west to east, it is much more compact and on average its width reaches 180 kilometers. About 40 kilometers from Lisbon is Cape Roca - the westernmost point of Eurasia.
Due to its proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean, the geographical position of Portugal has always been considered strategically important. That is why its territory is used as a springboard for the deployment of NATO military bases, in particular on one of the Azores - Terceira. In the city of Oyerash, not far from Lisbon, the NATO headquarters is located.
Interesting Facts
- Portugal is considered a mono-ethnic country, almost 90% of its inhabitants are ethnic Portuguese.
- There are Muslims, Hindus, Protestants, Buddhists in the country, but 90% of its inhabitants profess the Catholic religion.
- Colonial times did not pass without a trace. Today, eight more countries speak Portuguese: Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, East Timor, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe.
- In 2011, the American surfer Garrett McNamara conquered the largest wave in Portugal with the height of 23.77 meters. Achievement is entered in the Guinness Book of Records.
- According to international law in marketing, the title βportβ can only refer to those drinks that are made using special technology in the Douro River Valley near the city of Porto.
- Lisbon has the world's oldest bookstore, Livraria Bertrand, which opened in 1732.
Climate
The geographical position of Portugal is one of the most significant factors affecting its natural and weather conditions. Its entire territory lies within the subtropical zone, an area of ββthe Mediterranean climate.
The Canary Current of the Atlantic Ocean runs along the entire western coast of the country. It makes the climate cooler and the weather more unpredictable than in the rest of the Mediterranean. Despite this, the average temperature of the coast of Portugal is +20 Λ.
In winter, a lot of snow falls on the territory of the country. However, the absence of significant disadvantages does not allow him to linger for a long time. Most precipitation falls in the mountains and mainly in the winter months. Summer is quite arid. The driest months of the year are August and July.
Portugal nature
Portugal's bordering geographic location is fully reflected in its natural complexes. It is as if two worlds have grown together in the country: Central European and North African. This is expressed both in landscapes and in representatives of the local fauna.
In the north and central parts of Portugal are mountains and forests, consisting mainly of conifers. Mostly pine trees grow here, but there are oaks and eucalyptus plantations. Animals are represented by wild boars, Iberian lynxes and wolves, foxes, bears, wild forest cats.
In the south of Portugal hilly plains dominate, covered with evergreen hard-leaved shrubs. In this part, there are desert and semi-desert species close to the African ones, for example, lizards, chameleons, vivvers, genets, various snakes.
The coast of Portugal is indented weakly and is disturbed only by estuaries of rivers flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, mountains approach the low-lying sandy beaches, in the south there are many lagoons and small bays. There are many waterfowl on the coast of the country, and the waters washing them are inhabited by dolphins, sperm whales, mollusks, shrimps, anchovies and sardines.
Economy
Traditionally, Portugal is an industrial and agricultural country, the main focus of which is on the clothing, cotton, wool industries, the production of port, olive oil and canned fish. Recently, tourism and the service sector have gained great importance.
The country has about 600 thousand hectares of oak plantations - the source of almost half of the world's cork bark. Portugal's eucalyptus groves are an important source of raw materials for the paper industry. In addition, the country produces uranium, tungsten, pyrites, coal, produces cement, tiles, petrochemical products, and ships are under construction.
Despite the favorable economic and geographical position, Portugal in 2017 was approximately 43rd in terms of PPP GDP among the countries of the world. In Europe, it is inferior not only to Switzerland and Austria, but also to Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Estonia. The local market is closely connected with the Spanish state in the transport, banking and energy sectors. The development of business and the influx of investment is largely hindered by strict regulation by the state.
Cities
Due to the geographical position of Portugal, its largest cities are located on the coast. The largest settlements of the country are Lisbon and Porto. Both of them are included in the list of global cities and are key elements of world trade and the economy.
About 550,000 people live in Lisbon (around 2.3 million in the metropolitan area). It is the capital of Portugal, as well as the largest port, transport and economic hub of the state. It is one of the oldest European cities and was first mentioned back in 205 BC.
About 220,000 people live in the Port (about 2 million in the metropolitan area). In the past, it was he who was the capital of Portugal, but now the city is simply a large industrial center and port. Most of all he is known for the production of port. The old city center is a cultural property and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.