Today we celebrate the national day of Portugal, one of the sunny southern Member States of the European Union.
Portugal, officially called the Portuguese Republic, is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe, bordering to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain. Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments. The official language is Portuguese.
Portugal is the oldest nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global maritime and commercial empire, becoming one of the world's major economic, political and military powers. During this period, today referred to as the Age of Discovery, Portuguese explorers pioneered maritime exploration, notably under royal patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator and King John II. One of the country’s main exploits was the discovery of the territory which later on would become Brazil in the year 1500.
Now, get ready for a little fact-checking quiz on Portugal and the rest of Portuguese-speaking territories across the globe!
- When was the First Portuguese Republic proclaimed?
- Why did so many people migrate to Portugal during the Second World War ?
- In which year was the city of Lisbon nearly wiped out by an earthquake?
- What is the level of fish consumption in Portugal?
- Does Portugal recognise same sex marriages?
Check your answers by listening to the following speeches on the Speech Repository! 24584, 28103, 23685, 24276, 24764
Enjoy practicing with the language of great writers such as Camões, Eça de Queiroz, Fernando Pessoa José Saramago…
Your Speech Repository Team