Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dissolve the Parliament when he sees fit (it's rarely done, but he has the power).
There are 230 legislators, elected to four-year terms, making up the single-house
Assembly. Regionally, Portugal is divided into 20 districts (Lisbon, Coimbra,
Porto, etc.).
Flag:
The flag is two-fifths green and three-fifths red, united by the Portuguese coat
of arms—a shield atop a navigator's armillary sphere.
Soccer:
The three most popular teams are Sporting CP Lisbon, Benfica (also from Lis-
bon), and FC Porto.
Senhor
and
Senhora
Average:
The average Portuguese is 40 years old and will live
78 years. One in three Portuguese uses the Internet, two in five live near either
Lisbon or Porto, and slightly less than two in three own a car.
A naval superpower for a century, Portugal established trading posts that eventually
became colonies in Brazil and throughout Africa. The wealth that flowed into the country
led to an explosion of the arts back home. The finest architecture from this era (now
named the Manueline period, after King Manuel I) is in Lisbon, represented by Belém's
