PORTUGAL

State of the Europe sited in the Iberian peninsula and bordering on the north and on the east by Spain, on the south and on the ovest by the Atlantic Ocean. It has a surface of 91.985 kmq, and the population is about 10.012.000. Lisbon is the capital of Portugal with 827.800.

The state has a density of 110 inhabitants for kmq. It is member of WEU, NATO, OECD, UNO.

Portuguese are of Roman catholic religion (97%) that, according to the constitution, is the official religion of the state. There are protestant minorities also (1%).

The Portuguese is the official language.

The Portuguese monetary unit is the escudo.

The form of government is the presidential republic.

The political parties present are Communist, Social Democratic, Socialist and minor others.

The right of universal vote is obtained after 18 years.

The state is divided into administrative divisions: 18 district and 2 autonomous regions.

Portuguese exports are especially directed towards the USA and Great Britain. Follow Germany, France, Spain, Belgium and Italy.

The imports come from Spain, Germany and France.

Fruit, textiles, olive oil, cork and products of the paper, wine, tinned fish, machinery, resin of wood, iron pyrites are exported from Portugal.

Steel, sugar, cereals, cotton, chemicals products, means of transport, mechanicals products are imported.

Although different invaders people had docked along the long coastal strip of Portugal, the population stayed quite homogeneous. The Romans, threw the basis of the principal language, the Portuguese, derived from the Latin. The one significant minority is represented by the blacks from Africa original of the ex-colonies. Most people live in the countries and belong to the Roman catholic religion. The urban population is about 34%.

The expectation of life is of 78 years for the women, and 71 years for the men.

At the carrying pillars of the economy, agriculture and fishing, industry is added at the beginning of our century, that is qualified in the production of textiles, clothes, metals and machinery.

But, different political and social problems – wars with African colonies, the hostility between parties – helped to make Portugal one of the poorest country in the world. PNL is about of $ 93.700.000.000, about of  $ 9.001 for inhabitants.

The tourism has greatly helped in the economic renewal, but the agriculture is not improved because of obsolete techniques and the moving of people from countries to cities. The territory is characterized by plains, lowlands and mountains; the climate is mild and sunny.

Portugal, inhabited by Iberian people more than 5.000 years ago, was then invaded by Phoenician, by Celtic and by Greek before to fall in under Romans rule in the 1^st century B.C.. To Romans rule followed those of Visigoths and in 711 A.C. those of Muslim people coming from North Africa, that influenced Portuguese art and architecture. Spain absorbed the state in 1094 and in 1143 Portugal declared that it was independent; after a century, the last Muslims left were expelled. In 1580 Spain invaded Portugal and governed it until 1640, when the locals drived the rulers out and reaffirmed the independence of the state. After the loss of the most precious colony of Brazil, futured in 1822, and decades of opposition, the weakened monarchy was dismissed in 1910. The tragedies of the 1^st World War shook the new republic and in 1926 the parliamentary democracy fell for hand of a coup d’état.

Antonio Salazar began Prime Minister in 1932 and imposed a dictatorial regime that lasted until 1969; that further made the economic situation of the state worse. The coup d’état of 1974 was falled the successor of Salazar and set up a military  government, that caused numerous violences between political parties; in the next two years almost all of Portuguese colonies reached the independence. In 1976 a democratic government ascended in power and since then various coalitions have managed the nation; the elections of 1987 have seen the winner of the 1^st majority government made up Social Democratic.

I have a dream: I want to visit Portugal sooner or later. Because it fascinates me also. Moreover I like very much Portuguese national football team. I often watch it on TV and my favourite players are Manuel Rui Costa, Miguel Nuno Gomes, Fernando Couto, Juao Pinto, Sergio ConceiVao, Abel Xavier and Costinha.

What do you think, have you ever talked about them? Have you ever visited Portugal?

See you later.

Written by Manuel Italiano (e-mail  free2@itcgbianchi.mi.it)