The country of Portugal is dynamic and beautiful, friendly and full of surprises. It has a rich history, picturesque villages, golden sands and traditional food. Here are the most interesting facts or information for kids.
Fun facts for kids
Portuguese is spoken by about 236 million people worldwide and is an official language in 9 countries: Angola, Guinea -Bissau, Mozambique, Principe, Sao Tome and Equatorial Guinea. The oldest bookstore in the world is located in Lisbon, Portugal. Bertrand Bookshop was founded in 1732 and is still open today. The University of Coimbra in Portugal was founded in 1290 and is one of the oldest universities in Europe. The country is also home to the longest bridge in Europe, at 17 kilometers long, the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon. Bartholomew Portugues was a 17th century pirate. He used to operate from the Caribbean, where he attacked and intercepted Spanish ships coming from Africa or Europe full of grains of gold or cocoa. He established a set of rules known as the Pirate Code. These rules were later applied by English pirates. Lisbon is older than Rome. Exactly four centuries older. This is actually the second oldest capital in Europe after Athens. Many historians believe that it was settled by the Phoenicians around 1200 BC, who took advantage of the Tagus River’s excellent transportation. The world record for the largest table was set when dinner was served to approximately 15,000 people as part of the opening celebration.< /span> In the early 16th century, the Portuguese dominated many of the world’s first spice routes. Portuguese explorers and seafarers played a huge role in discovering new territories and moving new ingredients between continents. The Portuguese brought chili, potatoes and tomatoes to India. Today they are key ingredients in typical Indian dishes such as curry. The Portuguese also brought black pepper from Asia to Europe. Portugal takes its name from the city of Porto, which the Romans called Portus Calais.