Map of PortugalWhere is Portugal?
Portugal is located on the Iberian Peninsula on the south-western edge of continental Europe. It is one of Europe's smaller nations with a total land area of 91,951 sq km, which includes the Azores and Madeira islands.
Northern Portugal is characterised by high plateaus and mountains while the central region between the Duoro and the Tagus rivers is mostly hilly with scattered mountains, wide valleys and the coastal plain.
Portugal's Regions
Portugal is divided into several different regions, which are primarily areas of geographic, historic and cultural unity. The influence of the natural environment on regional culture is noticeable everywhere everywhere, from the granite granaries in the Minho to the schist farm houses in the Beira Alta and adobe cottages still found in the Algarve.
The Azores
Angra do HeroismoThe Azores archipelago with its nine islands extends 1,600 km from Portugal. The Azores were discovered in 1427 at the beginning of the Portuguese maritime explorations and became an important stopover point during seafaring expeditions.
The picture shown above is Angra do Heroismo on Ilha Terceira, one of the oldest settlement in the Azores, has been declared a World Heritage Site.
The Madeira Islands
The Madeira archipelago is located about 1000km south-west of Lisbon, the capital and largest city of Portugal. It consists of two inhabited islands - Madeira and Port Santo - and small uninhabited islands of volcanic origin.
Madeira wineMadeira is best known abroad for its fortified sweet Madeira wine, which is similar to port wine.
A little history of Portugal...
From the video, the picture showing the first king of Portugal was Afonso Henriques (reigned 1139-1185). He was the one who achieved Portugal's independence. The following picture shows the timeline of the history of Portugal (Click to enlarge).
What all of Portugal's regions have in common are the deep historical roots from millennials of human settlement. All across the Portuguese landscape there are many architectures such as the stalwart castles, lofty cathedrals , and elegant manor horses which were once home to the rural nobility. The Portuguese take pride in the unique characteristics of their home region, which are expressed in the livelihoods, crafts, costumes, dances, music, folkloric traditions, dialects and regional wines, which will be discussed in the next entry.