Portugal is part of the Iberian Peninsula, bordered only by Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. The surface of Portugal is 92.391 square kilometers and it has about 10.5 million inhabitants. The Atlantic archipelagos of Azores and Madeira are part of Portugal and occupy strategic locations. Being one of the oldest nations in the world, Portugal sports a tremendous cultural and social diversity. Portuguese language is spoken by about 230 million of people around the world and it’s the official language of 8 countries (Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Portugal, Guinea Bissau, East Timor, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe). The presence of the former Portuguese colonial empire is still in places as far as Macau, Goa and Indonesia.
It is a member country of the European Union since 1986 and of the United Nations since 1955. Portugal adopted the Euro as its currency in 1999. It’s an important partner in the European Union and signed the Bologna Process which aim is the creation of the European Higher Education Area.
The economy of Portugal is based on the industry and services, which include its automotive industry and software services. The business sectors are geared toward traditional industries such as clothing, textiles and cork along with footwear products, beverages and wood products. The country currently focuses on private investments, exports and even on the development of their high-tech sectors. Their exportation of technology has downsized their importations. Thus tourism is becoming an important contributor to the Portuguese economy; in fact, Portugal is the 19th most visited country in the world.
Portugal is also a pioneer in the leading of sustainable energy, implementing several policies in order to reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere. In 2006 Portugal opened the world’s largest Solar Energy plant and was the first country to have a system that produces energy from the waves.
