Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

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Lisbon

Portugal’s capital and main port lies

on the banks of the Tagus River, 8 miles

(13 km) from the coast. baixa, the

historic city center (below), lies on

the north bank. in 1755, most of the

city was destroyed by an earthquake

and then completely rebuilt. Today,

it is the bustling commercial heart

of the city. Lisbon’s manufacturing

center, dominated by large cement

and steel works, lies on the south bank.

ALgARve

The fertile coastal lowlands in

the south of Portugal are densely

inhabited. inland, the mainly

agricultural economy is based on

grain, figs, olives, almonds, and

grapes. Many fishing villages line

the coast. in recent years, these

quiet backwaters have been

transformed by tourism (above).

some traditional villages have

been completely swallowed up

by tourist development. Tourists

come for mild winters, fine

scenery, and some of the best

golf courses in europe.

vineyARds

vineyards blanket the

terraced hills that

line the valley of

the douro River

(left). The grapes

harvested here are used to make

Portugal’s distinctive wines and

famous fortified wine, which is

named “port” after Porto, a major

town on the douro estuary. grapes

are transported down the river by

barge to the towns of Porto and villa nova

da gaia, where the wine is blended and matured in casks and

bottles and shipped all over the world. The island of Madeira is

also famous for its wine, which is heated over a period of six months

by a combination of hot water pipes and the rays of the sun. it is then fortified

with brandy, which helps give Madeira wine a richer flavor.

on the southwestern side of

the iberian Peninsula, which it

shares with spain, Portugal is the

westernmost country in mainland

europe. it also includes the Azores

and Madeira, two self-governing

island groups in the Atlantic ocean.

CoRk CuLTivATion

Portugal is the world’s

leading producer of

cork, made from the

outer bark of the

cork oak tree. Trees

are first stripped of

cork at 15 to 20 years

old and then every

10 years thereafter.

Cork is used to make

stoppers for bottles and jars.

fesTivALs

Portugal is mostly a Roman

Catholic country; many villages

hold an annual festival to mark a

particular saint’s day or religious

holiday. Colorful parades march

through the streets, accompanied

by the Portuguese guitar (a type of

mandolin), and the entire village

comes together for a lavish meal,

with music and dancing. Plaintive

folk songs (fados) are famous

throughout Portugal.

PoRTugAL’s Long ATLAnTiC coast has

shaped its destiny as a seafaring nation. it is

a land with few natural resources, and its

economy has traditionally been based on

fishing and farming. The grapes that grow

on the moist, fertile slopes of the douro

River produce fine wines and port, while

olives, cork, and canned fish are also major

exports. Today, Portugal is becoming more

industrialized, and its textile industry is

expanding. Although it has a good internal

road network, its transportation links to

its eastern neighbor, spain, are poor,

and most heavy goods are still moved

by ship. Tourism, especially in the mild

south coast, is increasingly important.

Find out more

europe

europe, history of

Port is a

sweet wine,

made by adding

brandy to the

fermenting grapes.

Portugal 420-

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