ABOUT PORTUGAL
Portugal is situated on the west and southwest parts of the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain and the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal also includes two archipelagos, the Azores and Madeira islands, Portugal has a population of 10.6 million and the official language is Portuguese, the climate in Portugal is one of the warmest with average yearly temperatures of 15 deg in the north and 18 deg in the south, maximum temperatures of between 30 deg and 40 deg during the months of July and August, although temperatures of 45 deg have been recorded in the south, Algarve and Alentejo could be best described as having a Mediterranean climate, it is not unusual for there to be snow on the mountains, although winters are windy and rainy there are also sunny days during the winter months.
Large areas of Portugal are forest, due to very hot and dry summers in recent years parts of these forests have been destroyed by fire, in 2005 Portugal saw less than half its normal rainfall, Peneda-Geres National Park is the only national park in Portugal and is well maintained to ensure that visitors from all over the world can enjoy the natural beauty of the landscape, prominent features within the national park are the waterfalls, several villages shape the landscape with their traditional houses some with thatched roofs perched on the terraces of the hillside, the scenery in Portugal is stunning and must be seen to be appreciated.
Portugal enjoys festivals and fiestas dating back centuries most are dedicated to Saints, many take place in the summer months, although religion plays a big part in these festivals, nowadays the emphasis is on music, colourful costumes and street dancing. Traditional food and drink of bread, sardines and wine are consumed at these carnivals, and for the grand finale spectacular firework displays, visitors to Portugal will be amazed at the enthusiasm and hard work that goes into organizing these festivals.
Portugal produces some fine wines due to the healthy climate and the valleys tucked away among the hills, Port and Madeira are unique to Portugal, over a hundred different red and white wines are produced, each one with its own distinct flavour, olives are also grown to produce some fine olive oils. The Portuguese love their fish, particularly Cod, it is said that there are 365 ways to cook it (one for each day of the year), meat plays a big part in the Portuguese diet and grilled steak is often sautéed in a port wine sauce. Sausages are said to be excellent, kebabs, lamb, pork, turkey, duck, pheasant even pigeon are among typical Portugal cuisine, each region has their own way of preparing and cooking using a selection of herbs and spices. Queijo da Serra is a very popular sheep's cheese, it has a very delicate flavour likened to brie. Deserts and pastries are another speciality of Portugal, for visitors who prefer fruit, grapefruit, pineapple, oranges and bananas are grown locally or on the islands of Madeira and the Azores, more exotic fruits include mangoes and passion fruit.
