The westernmost state of the Old World, Portugal is loved by tourists for a certain special charm, excellent wines, amazing opportunities for quality surfing and a varied beach holiday both on the mainland and on the islands. Portuguese is officially adopted as the state language in Portugal. The country is a member of an international organization - the Commonwealth of Portuguese-speaking countries. It also includes the former colonies of Portugal - Brazil, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe.
Since 1999, the Miranda language has also been an official in the country, and Galician is very widespread in the north.
Some statistics and facts
- Portuguese speakers are called Lusophones after the Roman province of Lusitania. It corresponded to the territory of modern Portugal, and by analogy with this, the totality of the Portuguese-speaking territories on the planet is called Lusophonia.
- The official language of Portugal is one of the most spoken in the world and the second largest number of Romance speakers after Spanish. In total, it is spoken by about 200 million people.
- About 80% of all speakers live in Brazil, the former Portuguese colony in South America.
- European Portuguese differs from Brazilian Portuguese in terms of phonetics and vocabulary. Their grammar is almost identical.
History and modernity
In ancient times, the Iberian Peninsula was inhabited by the Iberians, Lusitanians and Ligurians and their languages have left their mark on modern Portuguese toponymy. The Romans brought with them Latin, from which all the Romance languages originated, and the Visigoths and Moors who came to replace them brought their influence in the formation of vocabulary.
The first dated document in Portuguese was the will of King Afonso II, and the flourishing of Portuguese literature came at the end of the 12th century, when Provencal troubadour appeared, writing lyric songs and poems.
In fiction, the official language of Portugal is often referred to as "sweet, wild and beautiful."
Tourist notes
Despite the fact that Portugal is located in the "backyard of Europe", its population speaks English, French and other foreign languages quite widely. In tourist places, in hotels and restaurants of the capital and other large cities, English-speaking and Spanish-speaking staff work, and menus, maps, public transport schemes have been translated into English.
In travel companies in the cities of Portugal, you can always book excursions with an English-speaking guide.
