States whose national language is Portuguese. Description of Portugal. Main tourist languages ​​of Portugal

The Age of Discovery, when the Portuguese discovered India and America, ended in the middle of the 17th century. Perhaps now, in the 21st century, the time has come for tourists to discover Portugal itself. After all, Portugal has not only football, but also ancient architectural monuments, medieval fortresses and palaces, excellent wines, beautiful nature and beach resorts, many of which are popular with European aristocratic families.

Geography of Portugal

Portugal is located on the famous Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. Portugal borders Spain to the north and east, and to the west and south it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal includes the Azores Islands and the Madeira Archipelago. The total area of ​​this country is 301,338 square meters. km.

The northern part of Portugal is occupied by mountains, and the southern part by plains and lowlands. The highest peak is Mount Estrela, whose height reaches 1,993 meters.

Several rivers flow through Portugal, the largest of which are the Tagus and the Duero.

Capital of Portugal

The capital of Portugal is Lisbon, which is now home to more than 550 thousand people. Archaeologists claim that human settlement on the site of modern Lisbon existed as early as 1,200 BC.

Official language

The official language in Portugal is Portuguese, which belongs to the Romance group of the Indo-European language family. The second official language in Portugal is Mirandese, which also belongs to the Romance group of languages. This language is spoken in the northeast of the country.

Religion

More than 91% of the population of Portugal are Catholics, belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. Another 3.2% of Portuguese consider themselves Protestants or Orthodox Christians.

State structure

According to the 1976 Constitution, Portugal is a parliamentary constitutional republic. The president is elected for 5 years. The country's parliament is the Assembleia da República, consisting of 230 deputies elected for a 4-year term.

The main political parties in Portugal are the Socialist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the coalition of the Portuguese Communist Party and the Green Party.

Climate and weather

The climate in mainland Portugal varies significantly from region to region, depending on the topography and proximity to the sea. Winters are cold, especially in the interior of Portugal, and summers are hot and dry. In the coastal regions of the country, the air temperature is slightly lower due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean.

The climate of the Azores is strongly influenced by the Gulf Stream, and is characterized by hot summers and warm winters. Madeira has a subtropical climate, the average temperature in summer is +24C, and in winter - +19C.

Ocean off Portugal

Portugal is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal includes the Azores Islands and the Madeira Archipelago (they are located in the Atlantic Ocean). The coastline of mainland Portugal is 943 km.

Average temperature of the Atlantic Ocean in the south of Portugal in the Algarve:

1. January - +14C
2. February - +14C
3. March - +16C
4. April - +16C
5. May - +17C
6. June - +19C
7. July - +20C
8. August - +21C
9. September - +21C
10. October - +19C
11. November - +17C
12. December - +15C

Rivers and lakes of Portugal

Most of Portugal's rivers originate in the Mesete mountains. The largest of them are Tajo, Duero, Minho and Guadiana. Another large Portuguese river has its source in the Serra da Estrela mountains.

There are no large natural lakes in mainland Portugal (there are only artificial reservoirs). However, there are several large lagoons.

Story

The history of Portugal dates back to the Celtic tribes who settled the Iberian Peninsula around 700 BC. Later, the territory of modern Portugal was conquered by the Romans, and then by the Moors (Arabs). Portugal (along with Spain) remained under Moorish rule for over 400 years.

It was not until 1143 that Portugal became an independent state under King Alfonso Henrique. In the 15th century, Portugal began to expand abroad, and the Portuguese built a huge colonial empire that included Africa, South America, India and the Far East. However, Spain conquered Portugal in the 16th century.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Portugal was captured by the French armies of Napoleon Bonaparte, but the French rule was short-lived. England intervened in the war and, in the end, Napoleonic soldiers left Portugal.

Throughout the 19th century, the decline of Portugal continued, and, ultimately, at the beginning of the 20th century, a revolution occurred in this country. The monarchy was dissolved in 1910, King Manuel II went into exile, and Portugal was declared a democratic republic.

In 1928, a military coup took place in Portugal, and Antonio de Oliveira Salazar came to power for many years. His reign lasted until 1968.

During World War II, Portugal declared its neutrality. After a military coup in 1974, Portugal recognized the independence of its African colonies.

In 1949, Portugal joined the NATO military bloc, and in 1986 it was admitted to the European Union. In 1999, Portugal handed over its Chinese colony of Macau to communist China.

Culture of Portugal

Portuguese culture takes its roots from the Celtic era, which had a great influence on local folklore. In turn, Portuguese culture during the Great Geographical Discoveries had a great influence on the culture of some countries in Africa and South America.

Traditional Portuguese Fado music is influenced by Arab, Greek, and Spanish musical traditions.

Portugal is a country of fairs, festivals and folk festivals. The most grandiose holiday is St. Anthony's Day, celebrated on June 13 every year in Lisbon. Saint Anthony was a Franciscan monk. He is considered the patron saint of sailors and poor people. On the night of June 12-13, Lisbon turns into one big fair.

On June 23-24, Porto celebrates the Day of Saint John, who is the patron saint of this city. On the night of June 23-24, literally all the residents of Porto take to the streets, and the city turns into one big carnival. Saint John's Day celebrations have pagan roots, when the Celts celebrated the summer solstice.

If you are in Portugal in August, be sure to visit the village of Santa Maria da Feira. This village hosts a knightly tournament every year, during which knights in heavy armor and wielding swords fight each other.

Kitchen

In the 15th century, the Portuguese Prince Henry the Navigator ordered all Portuguese sailors, traders and travelers to bring exotic fruits, vegetables and plants that they would encounter on their way to Portugal. Therefore, as a result of the Great Geographical Discoveries, Portuguese cuisine was enriched with new products, as well as spices.

It was Portuguese sailors who brought potatoes, tomatoes and tea to Europe. However, Portuguese cuisine was also greatly influenced by the Romans and Moors.

Fresh fish and shellfish are on the menu of every regional Portuguese cuisine. The traditional national Portuguese dish is “bacalhau” (dried cod). The Portuguese claim that there are 365 ways to cook dried cod.

Other traditional Portuguese dishes include "caldeirada" (fish or squid stew), "cozido à Portuguesa" (stewed vegetables with meat), "tripeiros" (pork sausages), "tripeiros" (meat dish), soup " caldo verde (with potatoes, cabbage and sausage), and pastel de nata cookies.

Portugal is famous for its wines. We advise tourists in this country to try the local Port wine, as well as Madeira.

Sights of Portugal

The Portuguese have always carefully preserved their historical monuments, so it is not surprising that there are so many attractions in this country. In our opinion, the top ten best Portuguese attractions include the following:

Cities and resorts

The largest Portuguese cities are Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Amadora, Funchal, and Setubal.

From the farthest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, Portuguese spread far and wide with the help of the ships of this maritime empire. On the way to the Far East, Portuguese naves (ships) established trading posts and forts on the shores of Africa, in India (Goa), China (Macau) and along strategically important sea routes (Cape Verde, East Timor). Since 90% of the sailors died on each voyage, there was not much relocation of residents. In its immediate neighbourhood, Portugal settled in the Azores and Madeira, these territories have their own dialects, and the islands were an important bridge for further expansion. However, the real revolution in the Portuguese conquests was Brazil. It became a melting pot in which the genes of Indians, Portuguese and, thanks to the ruthless slave trade, Africans were mixed. In this process, the Portuguese language, European diseases, and the bandeirate captains who hunted the Indians destroyed thousands of Indian languages, meeting only one serious rival - the language based on the languages ​​of the Indians Lingua Geral, which was widely used in the Amazon basin. Today, the majority of Portuguese speakers are Brazilians, and where printing presses were once banned by royal decree, telenovela soap operas have now reversed the flow of cultural exchange between Portugal and its former colony.

The westernmost country of the Old World, Portugal is loved by tourists for a certain special charm, excellent wines, amazing opportunities for quality surfing and a variety of beach holidays both on the mainland and on the islands. Portuguese is officially adopted as the official language in Portugal. The country is a member of the international organization – the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking countries. It also includes the former colonies of Portugal - Brazil, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe.
The Miranda language has also had official status in the country since 1999, and Galician is very widely spoken in the north.

Some statistics and facts

• Portuguese speakers are called Lusophones, named after the Roman province of Lusitania. It corresponded to the territory of modern Portugal and by analogy with this, the totality of Portuguese-speaking territories on the planet is called Lusophonia.
• The official language of Portugal is one of the most widely spoken in the world and the second most spoken Romance language after Spanish. In total, about 200 million people speak it.
• About 80% of all speakers live in Brazil, a former Portuguese colony in South America.
• European Portuguese differs from Brazilian Portuguese at the level of phonetics and vocabulary. Their grammar is almost identical.

History and modernity

In ancient times, the Iberian Peninsula was inhabited by Iberians, Lusitanians and Ligurians, and their languages ​​left their mark on the modern toponymy of Portuguese. The Romans brought with them Latin, from which all the Romance languages ​​originated, and the Visigoths and Moors who replaced them brought their influence to the formation of the vocabulary.
The first dated document in Portuguese was the will of King Afonso II, and the heyday of Portuguese literature came at the end of the 12th century, when Provençal troubadours appeared, composing lyrical songs and poems.
In fiction, the official language of Portugal is often described as "sweet, wild and beautiful".

Note to tourists

Despite the fact that Portugal is located on the “outskirts of Europe”, its population speaks English, French and other foreign languages ​​quite widely. In tourist places, hotels and restaurants in the capital and other large cities, English-speaking and Spanish-speaking staff work, and menus, maps, public transport schemes are translated into English.
In travel companies in the cities of Portugal you can always book excursions with an English-speaking guide.

The Portuguese language originated back in 218 BC. with the arrival of the Romans on the Iberian Peninsula. Today it is the official language of nine countries. It is the fifth most common in the world and the most popular in the southern hemisphere of the planet.

1. Portuguese has a lot in common with, but does not come from it, as many people mistakenly believe. The main reason for the similarities between these languages ​​is that the bulk of the vocabulary of each is of Romance origin.

2. Spaniards practically do not understand the spoken language of the inhabitants of Portugal, but at the same time they can read texts written in Portuguese without any difficulties.

3. The formation of the Portuguese language was greatly influenced by the languages ​​of those peoples with whom Portuguese sailors and traders came into contact. That is why it contains many other languages ​​- Arabic, and not only.

4. The Portuguese alphabet includes 26 letters, including letters with diacritics. It is noteworthy that letters such as K, V and Y are not typical of the traditional Portuguese language, and therefore they are used only in words of foreign origin.

5. Every year, on May 5th, Portuguese Language Day is celebrated. This holiday exists in all countries where this language is spoken.

6. There are two varieties of the Portuguese language - Portuguese proper and Brazilian. They differ in lexical, phonetic composition and even spelling. So, in Portugal, spelling remained unchanged for centuries, but in Brazil it transformed over time, adapting to the actual pronunciation of native speakers. In 2008, by decision of the Portuguese Parliament, certain changes were made to the Portuguese spelling in order to bring it as close as possible to the standards of the Brazilian one.

7. In Brazil there is a Museum of the Portuguese Language. It is located in the city of Sao Paulo. A special feature of this museum is the use of interactive panels that provide useful information about the development of language in an entertaining way.

8. All those people who speak Portuguese are called Lusophones. Accordingly, the territories in which this language is widespread are united under the name Lusophonia. This word comes from the Latin Lusitania (Louisitania) - this was the name of the ancient Roman province located on the territory of modern Portugal.

9. Portuguese has many dialects. The oldest among them is Galician. It is spoken by about 4 million people living in the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. By the way, it is believed that it was in Galicia that the Portuguese language and culture originated.

10. Residents of the municipality of Miranda do Douro (located in northeastern Portugal) speak a unique Miranda language or Mirandes (lhéngua mirandesa). It is one of the varieties of archaic Portuguese, which in vocabulary and phonetics is as close as possible to Spanish. Today, the number of native speakers of this language is only a couple of thousand people. However, since 1999, Mirandes has had official status. Moreover, a local newspaper is even published on it.

11. In Portuguese there are many words that resemble Russian words in their spelling, but have a completely different meaning. These include elétrico - tram, autocarro - bus and many others.

It is no exaggeration to say that Portuguese is one of the most beautiful and diverse languages ​​in Europe. No wonder the Brazilian poet Olavu Bilak called it “beautiful and wild.” And the world-famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes gave it an even more interesting definition - “sweet tongue.” And in some ways these great people were undoubtedly right.

Originating in northern Portugal and northwestern Galicia in Spain, it is a language of the Indo-European family, which is descended from Latin. It is based on a dialect of Latin spoken by the Gallecians, Lusitanians, Conians and Celtics, who lived on the Iberian Peninsula approximately two thousand years ago. In the 15th century The influence of the Portuguese language spread throughout the world. Portugal worked to create its colonial empire, which eventually covered Brazil, parts of India, Macau in China and the island of Timor north of Australia. Based on the Portuguese language, a number of creole languages ​​have emerged around the world, particularly in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, where the interaction of the Portuguese language and local languages ​​has led to the emergence of creole dialects. For example, on the island of Sri Lanka, a creole language called Sri Lankan Portuguese Creole was used as the only spoken language for almost 350 years.

Considering that Portuguese is a Romance language, most of its vocabulary is based on Latin. In addition, about 800 words in modern Portuguese appeared as a result of medieval contacts with the Moors. Over time, through interaction with various indigenous languages ​​of Africa and South America during the colonial period, numerous loanwords were added to the lexical composition of the Portuguese language. , and even languages ​​have had their influence on the vocabulary of modern Portuguese.

Although the Romance languages ​​have similar grammar and vocabulary, Portuguese is not always understandable to speakers of other Romance languages. With the exception of Galician, which is very close to Portuguese, a basic knowledge of grammar and vocabulary is usually required for speakers of Romance languages ​​to sufficiently understand Portuguese, and vice versa. In general, native Portuguese speakers understand mainstream Spanish, but the majority of the Spanish-speaking population will not be able to understand Portuguese without proper education.

Where is Portuguese spoken?

Today, Portuguese is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world, with approximately 250 million speakers. In addition, among the most popular European languages, it ranks third after English and Spanish. Despite the fact that in the Americas, Portuguese is the official language only in Brazil, approximately 50% of the population of South America speaks this language. Portugal's former colonies in Africa continue to use Portuguese as their lingua franca. Portuguese has the status of an official language in the following countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor (the second official language is Tetum), Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Macau (the second official language is Chinese), Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe. In addition, a significant number of native Portuguese speakers live in various regions of the United States and Canada, as well as in Argentina, France and Japan.

Portuguese language in the world

UNESCO notes that Portuguese and Spanish are developing faster than other European languages. Moreover, with the growing Portuguese influence in South America and southern Africa, the Portuguese language has enormous potential to gain international status. Since Brazil joined the Mercosur trade association (the common market of South America), learning Portuguese as a foreign language has become popular in Spanish-speaking partner countries (such as Argentina).

Portuguese has the status of an official language for a number of international organizations, including the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking Countries, the European Union (EU), Mercosur, the Organization of American States (OAS), the Organization of Ibero-American States, the Union of South American Nations, and the African Union.

Dialects of Portuguese

There are two main options Portuguese language: Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese. The main differences between Portuguese dialects concern stress and lexical composition. However, there are some grammatical discrepancies, especially in the spoken language.

It is important to note that the creole languages, which evolved from Portuguese and are used in various regions of Asia, Africa and the Americas, are distinct languages ​​in their own right and should not be confused with Portuguese.

About 200 million people in Brazil, as well as Brazilian expats living abroad in the US, UK, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay, speak Brazilian Portuguese. At the end of the twentieth century. As the popularity of Brazilian music and TV series grew, the cultural influence of Brazilian Portuguese increased significantly.

Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese

The difference between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese can be compared to the difference between British and American English. However, the differences between mainstream Brazilian Portuguese and the local spoken version are striking, even though the vocabulary and grammatical rules remain virtually unchanged.

It is also worth noting that there are a number of spelling differences between Brazilian and European Portuguese. Most of them are associated with silent consonants, which eventually ceased to be used in Brazilian Portuguese, but continue to exist in European Portuguese. Today, linguists are working to unify the orthographic system of the Portuguese language through spelling reforms.