1. Portugal By Laura Coyne

2. Geography Portugal is part of the Iberian Peninsula, along with Spain It is divided into two by the Tagus River. The north is mountainous, and the south dry. To the west is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the east is Spain.

3. The People Portugal’s population is about 10,524,000. The life expectancy for a woman is 78, while men are expected to live to 71. However, recently many people, mostly from rural areas, have immigrated to other European countries. They are homogenous people with a Mediterranean appearance.

4. The Azores The Azores is an archipelago, a group of islands, in the mid Atlantic. It is made up of nine islands and many smaller islets. All the islands were volcanic ocean. The largest and closest to Portugal is Sao Miguel.

5. Government Portugal has been a Republic since 1910, but has truly been a democracy since 1976. The president is chief of armed services, and elects a Prime Minister who forms the Council of Ministers. Each of the 22 provinces has their own governor.

6. Climate, Vegetation, and Wildlife Portugal’s climate is highly influenced by the sea and landscape. So the summers are hot and dry, and the winters cool and wet. The southern Algarve region is famous for its groves of carob, fig and almond trees. Portugal's animals consist of wolves, wild boar and lynx.

7. Welfare and Education The state provides social welfare systems. There are many hospitals, including private or public. Free education is available, but there are some private schools. There are five universities.

8. Transportation and Communications The road network covers most of the country, and is being improved. The railroad links major cities, and has been electrified. There are some airports, including Portela de Savacem, Oporto, and Faro. Radio and television were nationalized in 1975, and censorship ended in 1976.

9. Interesting facts Beneath the streets of Lisbon exists a hidden underworld of Roman corridors, bridges, rooms and galleries, which was only discovered after the great earthquake in 1755. It is only open to the public two days a year due to the dangerous conditions below. The world’s earliest recorded balloon was a hot air model invented by Father Bartolomeu de Gusmão, which was flown indoors at the Casa da India, Terreiro do Paço in Lisbon on August 8, 1709. He later ran away to Spain for fear of being accused of performing black magic by the Inquisition.