Portugal occupies the western part of the Iberian Peninsula and is slightly smaller than Indiana. The country is crossed by three large rivers that rise in Spain, flow into the Atlantic, and divide the country into three geographic areas.
Fast Facts about Portugal
1. The official name of Portugal is the Portuguese Republic. The capital city of Portugal is Lisbon.
2. Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe.
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3. The official language is Portuguese
4. Portugal has a population of over 10 million people.
5. In 1761, Portugal was the first colonial power to abolish slavery – half a century before Britain, France, Spain, or the USA!
6. The most popular sport in Portugal is football (soccer), the national team finished 3rd in the 1966 World Cup, 2nd in Euro 2004, and 4th in 2006 World Cup
7. Portugal does not have an official religion, though some 84% of the population are Catholic.
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8. Portuguese is the eighth most spoken language in the world. With approximately 200 million native speakers and 240 million total speakers, is listed as the eighth most spoken language in the world.
9. One of the oldest universities in Europe is in Portugal. The University of Coimbra was established in 1290, making it one of the oldest universities on the European continent.
10. The flag of Portugal (Portuguese: bandeira de Portugal) is the national flag of the Portuguese Republic. It is a rectangular bicolour with a field unevenly divided into green on the hoist, and red on the fly.