Portugal sits at the bottom of Western Europe on a peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In the 15th and 16th centuries, explorers set out from Portugal in boats to explore the world. They conquered parts of Asia, Africa and South America, including Brazil. They amassed great wealth.
Today, though, Portugal is one of the poorest countries in Western Europe. The country was ruled by the dictator, Oliveira Salazar, from 1932 to 1970. Portugal won its freedom in 1974. Many people here farm using traditional methods, such as plows pulled by oxen. Other people grow cork oak trees to harvest oak. Portugal produces more cork than any other country.
Fun Facts about Portugal for Kids
- Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal.
- The president of Portugal is Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
- Portugal has 35,502 square miles of land.
- 10,609,000 people live in Portugal.
- The official language of Portugal is Portuguese.
- 98 percent of people in Portugal are Christian. Most of them are Catholic.
- Portugal has a multiparty democracy.
- 95 percent of adults in Portugal can read.
- People in Portugal can expect to live 81 years.
- At 2351 m Mount Pico is the tallest mountain in Portugal.
- The Tagus river is the longest river in Portugal at 1,038 km.
- There are no active volcanoes in Portugal.
- On November 1, 1755 Lisbon was struck by a massive 8.5 – 9 magnitude earthquake. Because the records are old it is estimated that anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 people lost their lives.
- The capital Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe.
- Vasco da Gama Bridge is the longest bridge in Europe at a length of 17.2 km.
- Port (wine) is the Portuguese national drink.
- Lavender is the national flower of Portugal.
Portugal Vocabulary
- Peninsula: a portion of land attached to a larger landmass that juts out into a body of water.
- Explore: to look at something in a careful way to learn more about it.
- Conquer: invade and defeat another area, country or group of people
- Amass: gather, collect, save
- Wealth: money, riches, resources
All About Portugal Video for Kids
Check out this cool video all about Portugal for kids:
This is a video presentation of the tourist, natural and cultural attractions and the activities you can do in Portugal.
Portugal Q&A
Question: Where do people live in Portugal?
Answer: Most people live along the coast, in the large city of Lisbon.
Map of Portugal
Here’s a map of the country of Portugal and all its cities and villages. Zoom in to get into street level or zoom out to see other countries around Portugal! You can see the terrain, but also see the roads, images of the buildings and even take a 3D tour through the streets of the cities of Portugal, as though you are actually there!
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