The Português

Olá my dear friends,

After telling you a bit about Portugal, I thought it would be good to let you know about our language, which Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes once called "the sweet and gracious language".

Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Portuguese has co-official status in Macau in East Asia, East Timor in Southeast Asia and in Equatorial Guinea in Central Africa; out of the expansion of the language in colonial times, Portuguese speakers are also found in Goa, Daman and Diu in India. These are called Lusophone countries, as well as someone who speaks the Portuguese language is called a lusophone, either as a native, as an additional language, or as a learner. As an adjective, it means "Portuguese-speaking". The word itself is derived from the name of the ancient province of Lusitania, which covered most of modern-day Portugal. Portuguese is also termed "the language of Camões", after one of Portugal's greatest literary figures, Luís Vaz de Camões.

How about start being a lusophone? Check out the video and learn some Portuguese words.

P.S. Did you know that, besides Portuguese, Portugal has another official language? Its called Mirandese and is spoken in a small area of northeastern Portugal.

From Portugal,

with love


 

Portugal

Olá my dear friends,

This blog will be about Portugal, or more precisely, the Portuguese Republic. Well, some of you might be thinking: “Ok, but what the hell is Portugal?” so, let’s start there.

Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, is bordered by Spain to the north and east and by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. Besides the continental Portugal, its territory includes also the archipelagos of Madeira and Azores.

This small country is actually the oldest European nation-state, being established in 1139 as the Kingdom of Portugal, but the frontiers we know today were only defined in 1249. In the Age of Discovery Portugal had a decisive role in the expansion of the western influence, it established the first global empire, becoming one of the world's major economic, political and military powers and the longest-lived of the modern European colonial empires, spanning almost 600 years, from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the handover of Macau in 1999 and grant of sovereignty to East Timor in 2002.

During the Neolithic this region was occupied by Pre-Celts and Celts, giving origin to peoples like the Gallaeci, Lusitanians, Celtici and Cynetes, visited by Phoenicians and Carthaginians, incorporated in the Roman Republic dominions as Lusitania and part of Gallaecia, later the Suebi, Buri, and Visigoths passed by. Portugal survived to various invasions from the Moors and the kingdoms that would later became today Spain, especially Castile, but also the Napoleonic Invasions. It would still have to face civil wars, the end of the monarchy, colonial wars and 41 years of dictatorship.

I hope this first post hasn’t been to boring and if it made you curious about our history visit my page at Pinterest, where you can find lots of pictures, videos and a quick peek through the history of Portugal.

P.S. The Portuguese people can also be caled lusos or lusitanos.

 

From Portugal,
with love