Angélica Carlos Otília Jorge NOW LET’S SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT US! PORTUGAL

1. When was Portugal recognised as being independent from Spain? 1143, when Afonso Henriques (who would become the first king of Portugal) signed the Treaty of Zamora with the King of Léon and Castille and was granted territory from up north to Leiria.

2. What is the name of the Prime Minister of Portugal? José Sócrates is the Prime Minister. José Durão Barroso is the President of the European Committee. José Rodrigues dos Santos is a journalist and novelist.

3. What major international event took place in Portugal in 2004? In 2004, Portugal hosted the UEFA EURO CUP. We were in the final but Greece beat us and was the champion…!.

4. Where can we find the 17-km-long bridge Vasco da Gama? Vasco da Gama Bridge is in Lisbon. It was named in honour of the famous discoverer/sailor of the 16th century who established the sea route to India. It goes over the River “Tejo” and it is the longest bridge in Europe.

5. What animal is used as the national symbol of Portugal? The rooster (or cockerel) is a symbol of Portugal. The legend comes from the city of Barcelos. It tells of a man who was accused of a crime and was sentenced to death by hanging. The man swore his innocence and he said that as sure as he wasn’t guilty, the roast rooster that the judge was eating for lunch would start to sing. And so it happened, saving the man.

6. What is the meaning of the expression “Bom Dia”? “Bom Dia” means Good Morning. “Obrigado” is Thank You “Por favor” is Please.

7. Where was the famous Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo born? Cristiano Ronaldo was born in the island of Madeira (where he started playing football).

8. What colours are present in the Portuguese national flag? Red is for warmth, courage, combat, joy. Green is for hope and nature. The yellow sphere represents the Portuguese Empire. The 7 yellow figures are the castles conquered to the Moors. The 5 blue/white shields represent the Moor kings defeated by the 1st king of Portugal at Ourique Battle. The five dots inside them represent Christ’s wounds.

9. What Portuguese novelist won the Nobel Prize for Literature? José Saramago ( ) won the Nobel Prize for Literature in António Lobo Antunes is a contemporary novelist. Fernando Pessoa ( ) is possibly the most famous of all Portuguese poets.

10. What is the name of the national public TV channel? RTP is the public national tv station. The initials stand for Radio and Television of Portugal. The two private national channels are SIC and TVI.

11. What was the surname of the famous fado singer Amália? A national music symbol, Amália Rodrigues was the diva of “fado”, the traditional Portuguese song.

12. What 3 saints are patrons of the popular celebrations in Portugal in the beginning of Summer? St. Anthony, St. John, St. Peter, 13th JUNE 24th JUNE 29th JUNE

13. How old is Manoel de Oliveira, the famous film director (the oldest director still at work in the world)? Manoel de Oliveira is 102 years old (born on 11th December 1908). He started filming in 1931 and has more than 50 movies in his career! Last year he filmed “O Estranho Caso de Angélica” and at the moment he is in the pre-production phase of “A Missa do Galo”.

14. What is “Pastel de Belém”? “Pastel de Belém” is one of the most famous pastry itens in Portugal. Although it has the name of an area in Lisbon, it is popular in the whole country (also known as “pastel de nata”).

15. What is (roughly) the population of Portugal? It is around 10million. According to the latest census (2001) the Portuguese population was 10,355,824.

16. What is the product that best represents the Porto region? The product that most identifies the Porto region is the wine. Not only the table wine but also a more licorous sweet wine (“Port wine”). Another trademark of Porto is the “Francesinha” (“Frenchie”)

17. What is the name of the Portuguese national anthem? The Portuguese National Anthem is called “A Portuguesa”. It was composed by Alfredo Keil and written by Henrique Lopes de Mendonça. It became the anthem in 1911, by the time the Republic became the regime.

18. What is the international phone code for Portugal? The Portuguese international phone code is All local area codes start with “2” and all phone numbers have 9 digits. There are about 4,5 million telephones and 15,87 million mobile phones (more than the population).

19. How are the car license plates designed in Portugal? The Portuguese car plates always have 2 letters and 4 numbers. Due to the number of cars sold, the letters in the plate have changed places over time.

20. How do you say “Welcome” in Portuguese? “Welcome” is “Bem vindos” in Portuguese. “Adeus” is “Goodbye” and “Olá” is “Hi”/“Hello”.

So... “OLÁ!” “BEM VINDOS!” The Comenius Team Angélica Carlos Fátima Otília Jorge Vera