Study, work and live in Portugal

In the 15th century, Portuguese sailors led the overseas exploration that would soon lead to a large Portuguese empire spanning the globe. As a legacy of the imperial age, there are today more than 200 million speakers of Portuguese. In 1755 Lisbon was levelled by an earthquake and led to a decline in Portugal’s prosperity. In the twentieth century Portugal was for decades ruled by a dictatorship dominated by Antonio Salazar. In the beginning of the 1970’s, Portugal was led to a series of wars in an effort hold on to its African colonies. The government was overthrown by a bloodless military revolt in 1974, leading to independence of Portugal’s African colonies, and eventually to the country’s membership of the EEC (now EU) in 1986.

Portugal has a rich cultural heritage influenced over the centuries of Portuguese history by different cultures, such as the Roman, the Moorish and also by the traditions and cultures of its former colonies. Portuguese literature is represented by such poets as Luis de Camoes and Fernando Pessoa, and by writers such as José Saramago.

Quick facts:

• Population- 10,605,000 (est 2006)
• Principal languages- Portuguese
• Capital- Lisbon
• Other major cities- Oporto, Braga, Coimbra
• Monetary unit- Euro = 100 cents
• Internet domain- .pt
• International dialling code- +351