portugal

Portugal

Portugal is one of the oldest countries in the world. Portugal has one of the best player's in the world. The land within the borders of current Portugal has been continuously settled, invaded and fought over since prehistoric times. The Iberians, Celts, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and the Romans were followed by the invasions of the and the Germanic peoples, who were themselves later invaded by the Moors. These Muslim peoples were eventually expelled during the Christian Reconquista. Portuguese nationality can be traced back to the creation of the First County of Portugal, in 868.

There are Portugal facts regarding November 1 1755, which make the day memorable for all the wrong reasons. It was the religious holiday of All Saints Day, and the churches of Lisbon were filled with people burning candles. During the day, a huge earthquake struck the city, measuring at a magnitude of 9.0. Not only did the quake directly destroy much of the city, but a tsunami followed and, even worse, the high numbers of candles lit for the religious holiday caused devastating fires across the city. In total 85% of buildings were destroyed, and 275,000 residents died

Some more positive Portugal facts about Lisbon relate to The Bertrand Bookstore, known as the oldest bookstore in the world. The store opened its doors in 1732, and became a center for the city’s intellectual and artistic scene. The original building was levelled in the devastating 1755 earthquake, but the owners found new premises and business continued to thrive. The Bertrand Brothers took over the premises after a few decades and the business eventually grew into the Bertrand bookstore chain, with over 50 Portuguese stores today.

In 1998, the World’s Fair Expo 98 celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery of a sea route between Europe and India, by the Portuguese Vasco De Gama. In honor of this, the Vasco da Gama bridge was built in Lisbon, crossing the Tagus River. Construction began in 1995, and the structure was finished 3 years later in time for the fair. The bridge is the longest in Europe, measuring in at 10.5 miles (17 kilometers) in length.

Portugal, as the westernmost European country, has almost 500 miles (800 km) of coastline. Yet one of the lesser-known Portugal facts is just how good the country is as a surfing destination. For those in the know, Portugal is a surfer’s paradise, said to have 364 days of surf. In 2011, this fact was taken advantage of at Praia de Norte, a beach near the town of Nazaré. It was here that Hawaiian Garret McNamara broke records by surfing the biggest waver ever caught, which was an astonishing 90 ft. high! That’s nearly 27.5 meters!