{"id":567,"date":"2016-08-04T10:35:39","date_gmt":"2016-08-04T10:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isango.com\/theguidebook\/\/?p=567"},"modified":"2016-10-26T11:44:50","modified_gmt":"2016-10-26T11:44:50","slug":"portugal-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/portugal-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Things We Bet You Didn’t Know About Portugal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think you know all there is to know about picture-perfect Portugal? Think again. Keep these lesser-known facts about this European hotspot in your back pocket and sound extra-intelligent at your next dinner party. You’re welcome.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Portugal is home to the world\u2019s oldest bookshop<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Portugal<\/p>\n

This country puts the Waterstones and Foyles\u2019 book chains of the world today to shame. First opening its doors in 1732, the Bertrand Bookstore has been serving Lisbon\u2019s public for 284 years, hosting some of the world\u2019s greatest minds in its time. Offering a comforting sense of sameness in a world of change, the original Bertrand Bookstore is just as charming as it was in its hay-day, and is a must-visit for travellers to Lisbon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. The country\u2019s mother tongue spreads far and wide<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Outside of Portugal, Portuguese is the official language of Brazil,\u00a0Mozambique,\u00a0Angola, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor,\u00a0Equatorial Guinea,\u00a0Cape Verde, and\u00a0S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe. Ethnologue<\/u><\/a> estimates around 204.3 million people speak Portuguese as their first language.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3.\u00a0<\/strong>It’s got the longest bridge in Europe<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Longest<\/p>\n

The great Vasco da Gama bridge in Lisbon measures 17.2 kilometres (10.7 miles). This bridge is a recent addition to Lisbon\u2019s city scene, with the Vasco de Gama officially opening in 1997.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. Portugal was the first colonial power to abolish slavery<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In 1761 – half a century before Britain, Spain, France and the United States \u2013 Portugal officially abolished slavery.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5. Portugal was ruled by a dead Queen for a while<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Portugal's<\/p>\n

In 1357 when Pedro I was proclaimed King of Portugal, he insisted his lover Ines de Castro<\/u><\/a> was the ruling Queen \u2013 despite the fact that she was already dead. Castro was beheaded in 1355 following her unlawful relationship with Pedro. Legend has it that following Pedro\u2019s accession, the new King had Ines\u2019 corpse exhumed and crowned, and made the courtiers kiss the hand of his dead lover.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

6. The UK and Portugal friendship has been going strong for centuries<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Formed in the Windsor treaty of 1386, Portugal and Britain\u2019s alliance spans 630 years. When it comes to friendship, both countries have put the money where their mouth is, defending each other in battle several times. In 1808 the United Kingdom entered the Iberian Peninsula War and Portugal entered World War I in defence of its British ally in 1916. This is the longest-running, still active diplomatic alliance in the world; may the lengthy love-in continue!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

7. The surf’s up<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Algarve<\/p>\n

One of the world\u2019s leading surf destinations, the largest ever wave was surfed in Lisbon by Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara in October 2011. The whopping wave reached 30 metres in height and was caught at Praia do Norte in central Portugal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Think you know all there is to know about picture-perfect Portugal? Think again. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,58,87],"tags":[100],"yoast_head":"\n7 Things We Bet You Didn't Know About Portugal | The Guidebook - isango!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Think you know all there is to know about picture-perfect Portugal? 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When she\u2019s not befriending every dog in sight, Alice is travelling. The whole of Europe is on her list. After years of acting like it\u2019s her job to know all the inside travel info, she can\u2019t quite believe she\u2019s actually getting paid to do this. She humbly hopes her pieces will stop you from boarding the wrong bus, visiting mediocre museums or showing up at Stansted airport when your flight is at Heathrow\u2014all of which she has done before\u2014but she\u2019s not making any promises. 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