Portugal Property – GaryLucyRealEstate.com

Portugal is situated on the west side of the Iberian Peninsula, its geographic location along the Atlantic coast soon determined its vocation to the sea. Portugal’s natural advantages are a sunny country with diverse geographic features that have turned it into a chosen destination for many holidaymakers. The language spoken is Portugese.

Climate in Portugal varies considerably from one region to another and is influenced by the relief, latitude and proximity to the sea, which offers mild winters, especially in the Algarve. In the Porto e Norte area and the Centro de Portugal region, particularly inland, nearer Spain, the winters are colder, although the temperatures are still mild when compared to the rest of Europe. There is some snowfall. It occurs most in the Serra da Estrela mountains, where we find the highest point in mainland Portugal (1,991 m) and where it’s sometimes possible to ski. The summers are hot and dry, especially in the inland areas (Trás-os-Montes in north-eastern Portugal and Alentejo). Temperatures are slightly lower in the coastal areas, because of the influence of the sea. There are often warm, sunny days in autumn.

Facts & Culture:
Portugal in terms of population and of customs, differences between the north and south are very obvious. Above a line more or less corresponding with the course of the River Tagus, the people are of predominantly Celtic and Germanic stock. South of the Tagus, where the Moorish and Roman civilizations were most established, people tend to be darker-skinned and maintain more of a "Mediterranean" lifestyle. The 1974 revolution came from the south - an area of vast estates, rich landowners and a dependent workforce - while the conservative backlash of the 1980s came from the north, with its powerful religious authorities and individual smallholders wary of change. More profoundly even than the revolution, emigration has altered people's attitudes and the appearance of the countryside. After Lisbon, the largest Portuguese community is in Paris, and there are migrant workers spread throughout France and Germany. Returning to Portugal, these emigrants have brought in modern ideas and challenged many traditional rural values. The greatest of all Portuguese influences, however, is the sea. The Portuguese are very conscious of themselves as a seafaring race; mariners like Vasco da Gama led the way in the exploration of Africa and the Americas, and until 1976 Portugal remained a colonial power. The colonies brought African and South American strands to the country's culture. A member-country of the European Union since 1986, Portugal currently enjoys a steady economic growth. For centuries Portugal has kept the greatest treasure of a renowned reputation for hospitality that makes the country a haven of congeniality and safety. The currency is Euros. There are dozens of municipal ethnographic and historic museums. Lisbon is the capital and largest town of Portugal and capital of the Lisbon Region. It has a population around of 575,477, and the Lisbon Metropolitan Area in total has around 2,800,000 inhabitants, the largest urban agglomeration of Portugal.

In the town of Lisbon exists in its strong links to the past, renovated palaces, magnificent churches and an impressive castle mirror the city's rich cultural heritage. Lisbon is known for thrilling nightlife, in the last few years it has become recognized as Europe's gambling centre, due to its two huge casinos.

Lisbon also have a great number of remarkable museums of modern and ancient art, some of which are Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, National Museum of Contemporary Art, National Coach Museum, and Carmo Archaeological Museum. However, Lisbon isn't all history and culture, Bairro Alto is the center of nightlife with various bars and restaurants where melancholic traditional Portuguese music, Fado, can also be listened.

Geographical Information:
Portugal is situated at the south-west point of Europe and also includes the Madeira and Azores archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean. Mainland Portugal occupies an area of 88,889 km2. It is 218 km wide and 561 km long. It has 832 km of Atlantic coast and a 1,215 km border with Spain. The Azores are situated in the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America. They have an area of 2,355 km2 and consist of nine islands - São Miguel and Santa Maria in the Eastern Group, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial in the Central Group and Flores and Corvo in the Western Group. It takes about two hours to get from the Azores to mainland Portugal by plane. The Madeira Archipelago has an area of 741 km2 and lies in the Atlantic Ocean about 500 km from the African coast and 1,000 km from the European continent (1½ hours flying time from Lisbon). It consists of the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo and the uninhabited Desertas and Selvagens islands, which are nature reserves.