If a lot of people (millions we may say) visit Spain every year, the transit becomes a bit more scarce as we approach the neighbouring country, Portugal. And this is not without an explainable reason, because truth be told, Portugal used to be a colonial power even stronger than Spain and the country is beautiful, as well as the kind people that inhabit it. So today we are going to remind you of a few amazing facts about the amazing Portugal.
Afterwards, you can decide if you want to travel there, get an auto with Lisbon car rental and roam about the country.
So did you know…?
- Like we said, during the Great Age of Discoveries, Portugal used to play the main role. Who hasn’t heard of Christopher Columbus or Prince Henry the Navigator? They virtually discovered the New World and expanded the influence and wealth of Europe; and that of Portugal, of course. In the Middle Ages, half of the New World was controlled by Portugal.
- Consequently, Portuguese became a popular language. After the retreat of the Empire, certain colonies preserved the language, naturally, so today there are nine countries that have Portuguese as their official language.
- If we talk about history and legacy, Portugal can stand tall and proud. That is because it is the oldest country in Europe. In 1139, Afonso Henriques was proclaimed the first King of Portugal. The kingdom would endure for 800 years, until 1910 and the borders have remained intact ever since the 12th century.
- We may assimilate other countries in Europe with “the west”. But Portugal is literally the westernmost country on continental Europe. That is to say that, at least geographically, Portugal is the western frontier.
- And here is a fun fact for book nerds: the oldest bookstore in the world is located in Lisbon: the Bertrand Bookstore has been on a corner street of the Portuguese capital city since 1732.
