• Portugal and Britain are best friends. In fact, they have the oldest official continuous treaty between two countries in the entire world, dating back to 1386.
  • The national flower of Portugal is lavender.
  • Until the famous expeditions by Portuguese sailors in the 15th century, Cape St Vincent at the western end of the Algarve was believed to be the end of the world.
  • At 12 miles long, the Vasco de Gama Bridge in Lisbon is the longest bridge in Europe.
  • The Portuguese language has 600 words that come from Arabic, from when the country was part of the huge Moorish/Arabic empire.
  • Despite only being spoken in nine countries, Portuguese is the most spoken language in the southern hemisphere (the world south of the equator), mainly because of Brazil’s huge population.
  • The oldest bookshop in the world, Bertrand, has been open for business in Lisbon since 1732.
  • Portugal is a favourite spot for surfers thanks to 500 miles of coastline and 365 days of surf a year.
  • São Miguel Island in the Azores is home to the only tea plantation in Europe.
  • The island of Madeira is closer to the coast of Africa than it is to Portugal’s capital of Lisbon.
     
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