Portugal

__**Portugal**__

Portugal is located in the continent of Europe.It's borders are very rugged.It is bordered by Spain from the north,the Atlantic from the south,Spain from the east,and the Atlantic from the west.The capital city is Lisbon.Some of the major cities are Beja,Braga,Aviero,Porto, Castelo Branco,Viana Do Castelo,Viseu,andPortalegre.Portugal has a population of 10 million people.Portugal is a republic. //__**Flora**__ Portugal has 2500 species of plants from Europe and the mediteranean,1/3 of which were found during the Portuguese colonization period during the 15th and 18th centuries.Lots of oak and pine forests are found in the north,while olive and almond trees reign in the south.35% of Portugal is forest.// __**Fauna**__ In the countryside small foxes and rabbits are common sights,while bigger animals such as dear and wild boar inhabit the mountainous interiors.Portugal's two most protected mammals are the Iberian wolf and the Lynx.Another of Portugal's most protected animals is the waterdog,resembling the poodle it has webbed feet and can breath underwater for long periods.One of the most protected reptiles is the Mediteranean chameleon which is the only species of chameleon in Europe.Originating from North Africa it has indedendantly moving eyes and a tongue longer than it's body.Measuring 10 inches long it was found in Portugal 70 years ago. Sparrows and flamingos are often found anywhere in Portugal while endangered birds such as the black stork, the golden eagle ,and the griffon vulture are only found in the mountainous interior. __//**Landforms**//__ //Mainland Portugal has a varied landscape.Sloping from northwest to southwest, it is made up of plains broken up by mountains.Northern Portugal is hilly with huge plateaus intersected by valleys.The northeast is mountainous. Two natural landmarks divide the country into south and north:the Serra de Estrela mountain range and the Tagus river.The Serra de Estrela is the highest mountain range in Portugal.The Torre, the highest point in mainland Portugal at 6538 feet (1993m),is found here. The highest mountain is at 7714 feet (2351m) is Pico Alto in the Azores. The Tagus is the longest river in Portugal;it's source lies in Spain and it's mouth leads to the Atlantic.The Guardiana serves as a border for Spain and Portugal for over 30 mi (48 km).// __**Food**__ Portuguese northeners have made an appitite for pig intestine.The favorite portuguese meal is dried codfish.Many Portuguese have lobsters,oysters,shrimp,and other fish regularily.Bread rolls are very popular breakfast. 1 cup sugar 1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature) 1 teaspoon salt 2 packages active dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 3 eggs, beaten 5-6 cups all purpose flour 12 uncooked eggs (in shell) 1 egg 1 teaspoon waterThis recipe is often prepared around the Easter season, but is a good all around sweet bread treat anytime! Mix one cup of very warm milk (should feel slightly warm when a drop is placed on the inside of your wrist) with 1 cup sugar, 1 stick of unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Sprinkle the yeast over the remaining warm milk (in a separate bowl or cup). Add 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside until yeast is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat eggs until foamy; add eggs and yeast mixture to milk/butter/sugar mixture. Beat in 5 cups of flour, gradually adding 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Change to dough hook. Knead 5-8 minutes with machine. Turn out onto a clean work surface and continue to knead by hand 1-2 minutes, until dough is smooth. Butter or oil the inside of a non-metallic bowl and place dough inside, turning over once so that dough is coated and won't dry out. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap, then place in a warm place, free from any drafts. Allow to rise for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Turn out, again, onto a clean work surface. Divide dough evenly into 12 round pieces and form buns 3/4 inch thich. Arrange on 2 buttered cookie sheets. Make a hollow depression in the center of each with the back of a tablespoon. Press an uncooked egg, gently into the depression. Roll remaining dough into two long thin log shapes and cut into 12 pieces (each). Form each into a thin strip, 6 inches in length. Place two strips over each egg, in criss-cross fashion, being sure to tuck in the ends under the bun. Allow to rise again for about 45-90 minutes or until doubled in bulk (depends on the temperature in the room). Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat an egg with 1 teaspoon of water to make a wash; use mixture to gently brush tops of risen buns. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes or til golden. Remove to wire rack to cool. Brush lightly with melted butter. ||
 * __General Information__**
 * PORTUGUESE SWEET BREAD ||  ||
 * 1 1/4 cups very warm milk
 * __Holidays and festivals__**

The portuguese celebrate there nationalism on occasions per year.Portugal Day on June 10 is the main celebration.Another name for this day is Camoes or Communities Day,in commemoration of portugal's finest poet and patriot.Independance Day on December 1 celebrates the restoration of the country's independance from Spain in 1640,while republic day commemorates the overthrow of the monarchy and declaration of the republic on October 5,1910.The most recently dedicated holiday is liberty day on April 25.It celebrates the revolution that brought back freedom and democracy to Portugal in 1974.

__**Language**__

//The language of Portugal is derived from the Latin spoken by early Roman settlers.Portuguese is simaliar to other Romance languages,such as French,Spanish and Romanian.Written Portuguese is quite close to French and Spanish.The spoken language,however,sounds more like Romanian. Portuguese prunociation is quite difficult.Accents give different intonations to vowels and consonants.Many consonants are also slurred,making the language sound "slushy".The letter "s" is pronounced "sh" when it comes before a consonant or at the end of a word. Cascais, a town popular with tourists, actually sounds like "kashkaish". The letter "j" is always prounouncedlike the "s" in 'treaure'. Vowels togetherowels on their own are quite easily prounounced, but two or three vowels together, plus an accent, rendersthe prounounciation trickier. The word " nao" for example, sounds like the English "now".

Portuguese is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world. More than 180 million people speak it in Potugual and Brazil. The language, or dialects derived from it, is also spoken in Asian regions such as Macau, East Timor, Malacca in Malaysia, and Goa in India.//

__**Daily Life**__

Preschool for children between the ages of three and six is free not compulsory. Most families send their young children to preschool. Elementary school lasts nine years and is compulsory. It is provided free in state schools. The latter are usually run by the Catholic Church. Seconday school lasts another three years.

Portuguese children have more than enough time for leisure activities since school lasts only half a day, and the amount of homework is manageable. On weekendsand after school, many youngsters take part in sports practice, mainly soccer for the boys and any ball game for the girls. Many of them are also members of youth groups, such as the Scouts and Guides. On their home, many children like to watch television, read, or pursue hobbies.

__**Currency**__ The Portuguese currency is Euro.

Portuguese folk music has hardly changed since the middle ages.Songs often use various agricultural occupations as topics and sounds like a kind of repetetive wailing.Bagpipes,harmonicas, accordians,flutes,drums and countless percussion instuments are commonly heard.The country is famous for it's strings,which include violins,the classic twelve stringed Portuguese guitars,and six varieties of "violaguitars."Each of these has a character,tuning,and design of it's own.Best known for the four-stringed cavaquinho and the bigger guitarra portuguesa,standard accompaniments to fado.
 * __//Music//__**

__**Dance**__

The dance scene in Portugal is Vibrant, with contributions from the different regions and former colonies. Traditional folk dancing is alive and well in Portugal. Each region has its own variations, and folk dancers emerge in full force during festivals. during the annual national folklore festival in the Algarve, music and dance groups from across the country converge on various southern towns to share their regional traditions. the dances from the north have been the most resistance to change. One of the most interesting is the stick dance performed by the men of Tras-os-Montes. Dressed in white shirts and skirts, and black vests an Aprons, and accompanied by drums and bagpipes, the dancers put on a spectacular performance.

__**Architecture**__

One interesting feature of Portuguese architecture is the low, rectangular designs. Built from Granite, churches and palaces are shaped like crosses, with smooth columns and semicircular arches.

It is in surface ornamentation that Portuguese builders have given free reins to their imaginations. Every square inch of wall, door, or window is decorated with stone or wood sculpture. One uniquely Portuguese phenomenon is covering the entire church interior with carved and gilded wood, such as the convent of Jesus in Aveiro. Other interesting features are pictorial compositions made of azulejos,orcolorful tiles.

__**Painting**__

Portugal's oldest paintings date from the Paleolithic Age.The rock art of Foz Cooa is about 25,000 years old and one of the earliest examples of art in Europe.Later artists were heavily influenced by French, Flemish, and Spanish styles.The strengths of Portuguese artists throughout the ages have been realism and portraiture.They were much less successful with imaginative themes,such as mythology and history.

__**Sports**__

Portugal is truly a soccer-crazy country.Almost every town boasts its own soccer team,and matches between the big teams atrract tousands of spectators.Thousands more crowd into bars to watch matches shown on television.

The top three soccer teams are Benfica,Sporting Lisbon,and FC Porto.Most Portuguese soccer fans support one of these three teams.Benfica was one of Europe's best teams in the 1960s,while FC Porto became supreme in 1987 when it won the Champions League, the World Club Club,and the European Super Cup.