The population of Portugal is over 10 million.
The most ancient inhabitants of Portugal were the Iberians. But the appearance of modern Portuguese was strongly influenced by the Celts, Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians, Arabs, Germanic tribes, including the Alemanni and Visigoths.
National composition of Portugal:
- Portuguese (99%);
- other nations (Spaniards, Brazilians, Africans).
70% of Portugal's population lives in the coastal zone, where developed cities and resorts are located, which means more opportunities for work and life.
For 1 sq. km, 116 people live, but in some southern regions the population density is 5-10 times less than in the western coastal regions and islands, and the most populated coastal zone with Porto, Lisbon and Setubal.
The state language is Portuguese.
Major cities: Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Braga, Amadora, Setubal, Queluz, Funchal, Vila Nova de Gaia.
The majority of the inhabitants of Portugal (94%) are Catholic, the rest are Protestant and Muslim.
Life span
On average, residents of Portugal live up to 80 years (the female population lives up to 82, and the male population lives up to 77 years).
Despite the high rates, in Portugal $ 2,700 per person is deducted for health care (on average in Europe, $ 3,700 is allocated for this expenditure item). In addition, the Portuguese are considered one of the most drinking nations in the world (in terms of alcohol consumption per capita, Portugal is among the top 10 countries in the world). When it comes to the consumption of spirits, the country is at the very bottom of the list. But the Portuguese smoke several times less than the Spaniards, Greeks, Russians and Ukrainians, and 15% are obese in the country.
In general, healthcare in Portugal is at a high level - all medical institutions are well equipped and work closely with leading international insurance companies.
Traditions and customs of the inhabitants of Portugal
The Portuguese honor national traditions that can be traced in the celebration of international and national festivals.
The favorite religious holiday of the Portuguese is Christmas - on this occasion, they put on the table roasted turkey, cod dishes, pastries, set up a Christmas tree and a figure of Santa Claus in their homes. Maslenitsa is a no less favorite holiday, accompanied by carnivals and street dances. In addition, competitions are held between samba dancers.
The Portuguese are calm, imposing and dreamy people: if they have a choice to relax actively or passively, they will give preference to the latter.
Wedding traditions are of interest: early marriages are common in Portugal (the average age of a bride is 16, and a young man is 19-20 years old). In the pre-wedding week, the bride must deliver wedding invitations to relatives and friends: together with the invitation, she must present freshly baked bread. And the invitee, in turn, must give her a gift in the form of a tablecloth, a towel, bed linen, etc.
If you are invited by a Portuguese, do not forget to purchase a gift for the owners of the house - flowers or a souvenir from your country of permanent residence.
