PORTUGAL


 * [|Presentation of Portugal], made by kids **

**Portugal**       [|/] [|ˈ] [|p] [|ɔr] [|tʃ] [|ʉ] [|ɡ] [|əl] [|/]  ( [|Portuguese] : //Portugal//, IPA:  [|[puɾtuˈɣaɫ]]  ; officially the **Portuguese Republic**, [|Portuguese] : //República Portuguesa//) is a country located in [|Southwestern Europe], on the [|Iberian Peninsula]. It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, and is bordered by the [|Atlantic Ocean] to the west and south and by [|Spain] to the north and east. The Atlantic [|archipelagos] of the [|Azores] and [|Madeira] are Portuguese territory as well. The country is named after its second largest city, [|Porto], whose Latin name was //Portus Cale//. [|[8]] The land within the borders of the current Portuguese Republic has been continuously settled since [|prehistoric times]. In the 8th century [|most of the Iberian Peninsula was conquered] by [|Moorish] invaders professing Islam, who were later expelled by the [|Knights Templar]. During the Christian // [|Reconquista] //, Portugal established itself as an independent kingdom from [|León] in 1139, claiming to be the oldest European [|nation-state]. [|[9]] In the 15th and 16th centuries, as the result of pioneering the [|Age of Discovery], Portugal expanded [|western] influence and established the first [|global empire] , [|[10]] becoming one of the world's major economic, political and military [|powers]. In addition, the [|Portuguese Empire] was the longest-lived of the modern European colonial empires, spanning almost 600 years, from the capture of [|Ceuta] in 1415 to the handover of [|Macau] in 1999 and grant of sovereignty to [|East Timor] in 2002. The empire spread throughout a vast number of territories that are now part of 53 different sovereign states. However, the country's international status was greatly reduced during the 19th century, especially following the [|Independence of Brazil], its largest colony. After the [|1910 revolution] deposed the monarchy, the democratic but unstable [|Portuguese First Republic] was established, itself being superseded by the [|"Estado Novo" authoritarian regime]. Democracy was restored after the [|Portuguese Colonial War] and the [|Carnation Revolution] in 1974. As of 2011, the population of Portugal was 10,562,178, of which 547,733 live in [|Lisbon], the country's capital and largest city, located in the South, and 237,591 in [|Porto] , also known as [|Oporto] , the second-largest city, located in the North. The country is a democratic republic with a president (currently [|Aníbal Cavaco Silva] ) and prime minister (currently [|Pedro Passos Coelho] ). Since the 1990s, Portugal's economic development model has been slowly changing from one based on public consumption to one focused on exports, private investment, and development of the high-tech sector. The Portuguese currency is the [|euro] (€) and the country's economy is in the [|eurozone]. Portugal is a [|developed country] with a very high [|Human Development Index], the world's 19th-highest [|quality-of-life] as of 2005, and a strong [|healthcare system]. It is one of the world's most [|globalized] and [|peaceful] nations: [|[11]] a member of the [|European Union] and the [|United Nations], and a founding member of the [|Latin Union] , the [|Organization of Ibero-American States] , [|OECD] , [|NATO] , the [|Community of Portuguese Language Countries] , the [|eurozone] and the [|Schengen Agreement].

Geography
[|Mount Pico], the highest peak in Portugal, on the volcanic island of [|Pico]. Main articles: [|Geography of Portugal], [|Protected areas of Portugal] , [|Continental Portugal] , and [|Autonomous regions of Portugal] The territory of Portugal includes an area in the [|Iberian Peninsula] (referred to as //the continent// by most Portuguese) and two archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean: the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores. It lies between latitudes [|32°] and [|43° N], and longitudes [|32°] and [|6° W]. [|Mainland Portugal] is split by its main river, the [|Tagus] that flows from Spain and disgorges in Tagus Estuary, near Lisbon, before escaping into the Atlantic. The northern landscape is mountainous towards the interior with several plateaus indented by river valleys, whereas the south, that includes the [|Algarve] and the [|Alentejo] regions, is characterized by rolling plains. Portugal's highest peak is the similarly named [|Mount Pico] on the island of [|Pico] in the Azores. This ancient volcano, which measures 2,351 m (7,713 ft) is a highly iconic symbol of the Azores, while the [|Serra da Estrela] on the mainland (the summit being 1,991 m (6,532 ft) above sea level) is an important seasonal attraction for skiers and winter sports enthusiasts. The archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores are scattered within the Atlantic Ocean: the Azores straddling the [|Mid-Atlantic Ridge] on a tectonic triple junction, and Madeira along a range formed by [|in-plate] [|hotspot] geology (much like the [|Hawaiian Islands] ). Geologically, these islands were formed by volcanic and seismic events, although the last terrestrial volcanic eruption occurred in 1957–58 ( [|Capelinhos] ) and minor earthquakes occur sporadically, usually of low intensity. [|Portugal's Exclusive Economic Zone], a sea zone over which the Portuguese have special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, has 1,727,408 km2. This is the 3rd largest [|Exclusive Economic Zone] of the European Union and the 11th largest in the world.

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