Portugal - Facts for Kids

Basic Information

Portugal’s full name is the Portuguese Republic, and it’s one of the oldest countries in Europe!

Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city, was built on seven hills just like ancient Rome!

Over 10 million people live in Portugal, which is close to the number of people living in the state of Georgia in the United States!

Portugal sits at the westernmost point of mainland Europe, right next to Spain, and is often called the “Gateway to Europe”!

Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, and it’s spoken by more than 250 million people around the world!

Portugal uses the Euro (€) as its currency, and it switched from its old money (called the Escudo) in 2002!

Portugal is a democratic republic, which means the people get to vote for their leaders!

The Portugal flag is green on the left and red on the right. In the middle, a golden globe-like circle called an armillary sphere stands behind a special shield. This shield has five little blue shields for victories and seven golden castles for the castles Portugal won!

The Iberian wolf is Portugal’s national animal, though these beautiful creatures are now very rare!

Geography & Nature

Mainland Portugal has about 943 km (or 586 miles) of coastline — that’s like laying over 9,000 soccer fields end to end along the ocean!

The Azores Islands, which belong to Portugal, were created by volcanoes and have hot springs where you can swim in naturally warm water!

Portugal’s highest mountain, Mount Pico, is actually on an island and stands 2,351 meters (7,713 feet) tall!

The Douro River Valley has special steps cut into the hills called terraces, where farmers grow grapes for making grape juice and other drinks!

Cork trees grow in Portugal, and their bark can be harvested every nine years without hurting the tree!

Portugal has a special valley called the Vale do Côa, where ancient humans drew pictures on rocks over 20,000 years ago!

The Benagil Cave in the Algarve region has a natural skylight that makes the sand beach inside glow like gold!

Portugal’s Madeira Islands are sometimes called the “Floating Garden” because they have so many beautiful flowers!

Culture & Traditions

In Portugal, people often give each other small pottery swallows as gifts because these birds represent love and loyalty!

Fado is a special kind of Portuguese music that tells stories through beautiful, sometimes sad songs!

During Portugal’s traditional carnival called Entrudo, people playfully splash water and sometimes even toss water balloons or flour at each other. It’s all part of a fun, messy tradition that helps say goodbye to winter and welcome spring!

In Portugal, kids play a game called Jogo do Pião, where they wrap a cord around a wooden spinning top and launch it so it twirls for as long as possible — or even knocks other tops out of a drawn circle!

At Portuguese weddings, guests often toss rice over the bride and groom as they leave the ceremony to wish them good luck and happiness!

The rooster of Barcelos is a colorful ceramic rooster that’s one of Portugal’s most famous symbols!

During the São João Festival in Porto, people gently tap each other on the head with plastic hammers for good luck!

Portuguese people greet friends and family with two kisses on the cheeks, starting with the right side!

Food & Daily Life

Portuguese people typically eat their biggest meal of the day for lunch, not dinner!

Pastéis de Nata, Portugal’s famous custard tarts, were invented by monks in Belém over 200 years ago, and the secret recipe is still used today!

In Portugal, kids usually start school at 9:00 AM and finish around 3:30 PM, with a break to eat lunch. Older students may start just a bit earlier — like 8:45 AM — and stay until about 4:45 PM!

Many Portuguese families gather every Sunday for a special lunch that can last for several hours!

In Portugal, people love soup — especially “Caldo Verde”, a yummy kale and potato soup that warms the heart. You’ll see it at parties, family meals, or even festivals!

In Portugal, it’s common to eat 12 raisins at midnight on New Year’s Eve, making a wish with each one!

Many Portuguese families have their own secret recipe for “Bacalhau” (dried cod fish), which can be cooked in over 365 different ways!

History & Heritage

Portuguese sailors were the first Europeans to reach Japan in 1543. They brought a fried vegetable dish called peixinhos da horta that inspired Japanese cooks to create the crispy, light tempura we enjoy today!

The Tower of Belém in Lisbon was built between 1514 and 1519 to protect the city’s harbor — and it looks like a fancy stone fortress with turrets and carvings!

In the 1400s, Prince Henry the Navigator gathered mapmakers, sailors, and shipbuilders in Sagres, Portugal, to learn together and plan new sea voyages!

The University of Coimbra, founded in 1290, is one of the oldest universities in the world that’s still operating!

In 1293, Portugal created the first maritime insurance fund in Europe to protect trading ships from losses at sea!

After the huge 1755 earthquake in Lisbon, the city was rebuilt with special Pombaline buildings designed to sway and stay standing during future quakes!

In 1498, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama sailed all the way around Africa to reach India by sea for the first time!

Portugal had its first newspaper, called “Gazeta da Restauração”, which started printing in 1641 to share news about the country’s big comeback from Spanish rule!

Portuguese immigrants brought small guitars to Hawaii in 1879, and these inspired the creation of the ukulele, which became famous there!

Modern Life & Technology

In 2023, Portugal made a record by getting 61% of its electricity from clean sources like wind, water, and sunshine!

Portuguese cork has been used to help protect rockets in space missions, thanks to its super-strong, heat-resistant properties!

The Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon is the longest bridge in Europe, stretching 17.2 kilometers (10.7 miles)!

Portugal was the first country to use sea waves to make electricity with the Aguçadoura Wave Farm in 2008!

Portugal’s “Via Verde” system lets cars pay tolls without stopping, using special technology!

Portuguese scientists are using special robots to clean the ocean and collect plastic waste!

The Lisbon Oceanarium is one of the largest aquariums in Europe and has a giant sunfish!

Portuguese trains can travel at speeds of up to 220 kilometers per hour (137 miles per hour)!

Fun & Interesting Facts

Portugal holds the world record for the longest dining table, which seated 15,000 people!