About Portugal 

Portugal, the full name of the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa), is a republic located in southwestern Europe. To the east is Spain on the Iberian Peninsula, and to the west and south of Portugal are the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to the territories of continental Europe, the Azov and Madeira Islands in the Atlantic are also Portuguese territories. Cape Roca, west of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is the westernmost point of the European continent.

 

Beginning in the 16th century, Portugal played an active role in the great maritime era and became an important maritime power. In its heyday, Portugal even signed the Tordesillas Treaty with Spain in an attempt to carve up the world. In modern Western history, Portugal is one of the cradles of history and culture. From the 16th to the 18th century, Portugal and Spain became the most powerful global empires influencing the world. Among the existing European countries, Portugal has the longest colonial history. Since the capture of North Africa in 1415 and the transfer of power in Macao in 1999 (there is also an algorithm for East Timor’s independence in 2002), colonial activities have been nearly 600 years old. , Which once included part of the territories of 53 countries in the world, the official language Portuguese became the common mother tongue of 240 million people and the eighth largest language in the world.

Portugal is a highly developed capitalist country with a well-developed tourism industry. It is also a member of the European Union and a founding member of the Euro and NATO. It is also a member of the World Trade Organization, the United Nations and other international organizations.

 

l Diplomatic relations

Portugal advocates the development of friendly and cooperative relations with all countries in the world on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. Focus on maintaining the three major diplomatic pillars of the European Union, Transatlantic Relations, and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries. Supports NATO’s eastward expansion, but believes that Russia’s security interests should be taken into consideration. Advocating that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved through political negotiations. Actively explore markets in emerging countries, focusing on the development of cooperative relations with China, Russia, Japan, India, Brazil, South Africa and North African Arab countries. Strengthen economic and trade exchanges with major oil countries such as Venezuela, Angola and Libya. In October 2010, he was successfully elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council from 2011 to 2012. Starting from November 1, 2011, Portugal will serve as the non-permanent presidency of the UN Security Council for a period of one month. In early 2012, the slogan "Economic Diplomacy" was formally put forward to vigorously reform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign agencies to promote exports, attract investment, and help the country get out of the crisis. In July 2012, Portugal voted in favor of the UN Security Council’s draft resolution on the Syrian issue, advocating “humanitarian intervention”, believing that when the Security Council was unable to take action, the situation in Syria clearly deteriorated. Actively prepare to run for the United Nations Human Rights Council. It has established diplomatic relations with 180 countries and regions in the world, and has established 146 embassies and consulates abroad. Among them, 70 are embassies, 66 are professional consulates, and 10 are delegations to international organizations.

 

l Economic situation

Portugal is a moderately developed country in the European Union, with a weak industrial base. Textiles, shoemaking, wine making, and tourism are the pillar industries of the national economy. The output of cork accounts for more than half of the world's total output, and the export ranks first in the world, so it is known as the "Cork Kingdom". It is the 11th largest shoe exporter in the world.

 

l Educate

Portugal implements a 12-year compulsory education at the University of Porto in Portugal, including basic education (4 years for primary school, 2 years for preparatory classes for secondary schools, and 3 years for junior high school) and secondary education (3 years, equivalent to high schools in my country). Higher education is 4 to 5 years of university. In 2012, the science and education budget was 6.889 billion euros, accounting for 3.65% of the total government budget. In 2010, the literacy rate (population with literacy skills over the age of 15 accounted for the total) was 95.2%. The main institutions of higher learning are the University of Lisbon, the University of Coimbra, the University of Porto, the Polytechnic University of Lisbon, the University of Minho, the University of Aveiro, the University of Évora and the National School of Administration.

 

l Religion

Portugal is a Catholic country, 84.5% of the people believe in Catholicism, and are deeply influenced by the Catholic culture. There are quite a lot of Catholic churches in Portugal, and most of them have a strong Roman Catholic flavor.

 

l Travel Resources

In addition to the Portuguese territory of the Iberian Peninsula, the Azov and Madeira Islands in the Atlantic are also Portuguese territories. The Portuguese love nature and love flowers and trees. It is a completely different experience to come to Portugal, the southwest end of the European continent, and enjoy the spectacular scenery near the Atlantic Ocean. Tourism is an important source of Portuguese foreign exchange income and an important means to make up for the deficit in foreign trade.

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