| Portugal,
officially the Portuguese Republic (in Portuguese, República Portuguesa;
pron. IPA [ʁɛ'puβlika puɾtu'ɣezɐ]). Portugal, is
located in the west and southwest parts of the Iberian Peninsula in
southwestern Europe. It is also the westernmost country in continental Europe.
Portugal is bordered by Spain to the north and east and by the Atlantic
Ocean to the west and south. In addition, Portugal includes two
archipelagos in the Atlantic, Azores (Açores) and Madeira Islands.
Portugal has witnessed a constant flow of different civilizations during
the past 3,100 years. Iberian, Tartessian, Celtic, Phoenician and
Carthaginian, Greek, Roman, Germanic (Suevi and Visigoth), Semitic
(Arabic, Jewish, etc.), Moorish and other cultures have all made an
imprint on the country's culture, history, language and ethnic make up.
The naming of Portugal itself reveals most of the country's early history,
stemming from the Roman name Portus Cale, possibly a Latin name mixed with
other influences, meaning "Beautiful Port". During the 15th and
16th centuries, Portugal was a major economic, political, and cultural
power, its empire stretching from Brazil to the Indies. |
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