Portugal is a European country located on the Iberian Peninsula to the west of Spain. Therefore it shares a border to the east with Spain and the western coast flanks the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal is also the most westerly country in Europe and two archipelagos of islands in the Atlantic Ocean – Madeira and the Azores.

During the 15th and 16th centuries Portugal had a massive empire based on their maritime exploration which comprised of countries worldwide including large nations in South America and Africa. Of course one of the largest Portuguese colonies was Brazil, and there is still a close connection between the two countries to this day. A major event in Portuguese history was the 1755 Lisbon earthquake which destroyed much of the city’s progress up to that time. Up until 1974 Portugal was one of the poorest countries in Europe but a change of leadership at the time led to increased prosperity. Today Portugal is one of the most developed countries in the world and is a member of the European Union.

Portugal is easily accessed from the rest of Europe by cheap flights and it is possible to drive there as well. The country is a favourite with European holidaymakers because it is so cheap and usually enjoys excellent weather. Many of those tourists are golfers who are aware that Portugal was voted the best golfing destination in the world in 2008. There is also a wealth of history and culture in its cities and towns as Portugal has been occupied ever since prehistoric time. The Portuguese terrain is also very varied terrain and offers everything from beaches and deserts to forest covered mountains. The south of Portugal has a very pleasant climate with average yearly temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius. 

There are more than 10 and a half million people in Portugal. 96% of them are Portuguese and that includes over 30% of legal immigrants from countries such as Cape Verde and Brazil. Many of the other immigrants are from Eastern Europe and there are also around 100,000 black Africans. The majority of people in Portugal are Roman Catholics.