Portugal

About Portugal

     Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa; IPA: [ʁɛ'publikɐ puɾtu'gezɐ]), is a country in southwestern Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula. Being the westernmost country of mainland Europe, Portugal 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 also part of Portugal.

     The land within the borders of today's Portuguese Republic has been constantly settled since prehistoric times. Some of the earliest civilizations include Celtic societies, followed by incorporation into the Roman Empire, and subsequently into Germanic Kingdoms, such as the Suebi and the Visigoths, from the 5th to the 8th century. The Moors occupied most of the Iberian Peninsula from the early 8th century when they first arrived and conquered the previous rulers which were the Christian Kingdoms of Germanic background. After the starting of the Reconquista, in the early 1100s Portugal appeared as a kingdom independent of its Christian neighbours, Castile and Leon. In little over a century Portugal had nearly established its modern-day borders by conquering territory from the Muslim Moors.

     During the 15th and 16th centuries, with its global empire, Portugal was one of the world's major economic, political, and cultural powers. Portugal is a developed country, member of the European Union (since 1986) and the United Nations (since 1955); as well as a founding member of the Eurozone, OECD, NATO, and CPLP (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa — Community of Portuguese Language Countries).

    Portugal joined the European Union in 1986 and started a process of modernization within the framework of a stable environment. It has achieved a healthy level of growth. Successive governments have implemented reforms and privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy. Portugal was one of the founding countries of the euro in 1999, and therefore is integrated into the Eurozone.

     Major industries include oil refineries, automotive, cement production, pulp and paper industry, textile, footwear, furniture, and cork (of which Portugal is the world's leading producer). Agriculture and Fishing (see Portugal EEZ) no longer represents the bulk of the economy, but Portuguese wines, namely Port Wine (named after the country's second largest city, Porto) and Madeira Wine (named after Madeira Island), are exported worldwide. Tourism is also important, especially in mainland Portugal's southernmost region of the Algarve and in the Atlantic Madeira archipelago.

 

About Viana Do Castelo

     Viana do Castelo  is a city and a municipality, seat of the district of Viana do Castelo, in Norte region, Portugal. The city proper has 46,800 inhabitants, and the municipality has a total population of 91,238 inhabitants (2006) for a total area of 318.6 km².

It is located at the mouth of the Rio Lima.

     King Afonso III of Portugal founded the town in 1253 in the name of Viana. In the 16th century its port gained great importance as the one of the main ports from which Portuguese explorers set sail due to the discoveries. The most remarkable buildings in the town are from this era. Its traditional folklore is among the richest in the country.

It is recorded that the town received its original name of "Calpe" by Diomedes in 1156 BC.

     The city has a seaport with naval repairing facilities. Its major industry is naval construction. Its shipyard is the only one still working in Portugal.