Portugal has a strong connection to the sea due to its history of exploration and trade. The sea encouraged Portugal's sailors to explore the world in the 15th and 16th centuries, allowing the small nation to become one of the most powerful during that time. Portugal was also a pioneer in world exploration and was the first European country to establish influence in parts of Asia, Africa, and America. Some defining aspects of Portuguese culture and identity include their individuality despite influences from other Mediterranean and European cultures, as well as their resilience after centuries of wars and revolutions. The Portuguese language and concepts like "saudade" and fado music have also spread around the globe.

1. PORTUGAL AND THE
PORTUGUESE
WORDS THAT DEFINE THE PEOPLE AND THE NATION

3. THE SEA/WATER
- “Our backs are turned to the land, and we are always looking at the
sea. We have that kind of impulse to see what is after that“;
- The sea invited our sailors to explore the world and permitted a
very small nation to become one of the most powerful during the
XV and XVI centuries;
- It surrounds half of the country, making it the entrance and exit
point of Europe;
- A significant part of the income comes from fishing and coastal and
river tourism.

4. DISCOVERIES/EXPLORATION
- Portugal was the pioneer to the world exploration, “giving new
worlds to the world”;
- We discovered Brazil, the eastern route to India, several atlantic
islands (Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde);
- Explored all the continents.

5. GLOBAL
- The 1st European country in part of Asia, Africa and America; we
transplanted our culture to every corner of the world;
- The largest UNESCO World Heritage Sites spread by any country
throughout the world: churches, forts, and other monuments from
China to Iran, Morocco, India, Malaysia, Kenya, Brazil … the desserts
in Thailand are of Portuguese influence; many Japanese words
originate from Portuguese;
- Our language is spoken in all continents;
- It has never been limited to its borders; still there are Portuguese

6. INDIVIDUALITY
- Our country is Mediterranean, but on the Atlantic; it’s Iberian, but
not Spanish; it’s European, but focus more on the ocean; it’s Latin
but with a more reserved Nordic-like temperament.
- It’s a soulful place with a rare individuality and with the
consciousness of it’s unique character and with little treasures that
make it so enigmatic.

7. BLUE
- It’s the colour that covers the country: it’s the colour of the Atlantic
Ocean, the colour of the skies (The Algarve is the region with more
hours of sun per year in the whole Europe and Lisbon is the sunniest
capital), the colour of the Azores stunning lagoons, the colour of
churches, train stations and palaces tiles, and the colour of the edges
of white houses in many small villages mainly in the South of the
country.

8. GOLDEN
- That’s the colour of the cliffs and sand in the Algarve and many
other beaches in
the country;
- That’s the colour of the jewellery used in Minho’s folklore and
traditional costumes;
- And that’s the colour of the gilding in churches and palaces.

9. STONE
- Stone is used all over the country. There are countless medieval
castles and villages entirely made of stone; and everywhere there
are “pelourinhos”, carved stone columns or pillories, which used to
be religious or power symbols.

10. TIME
- Living the present and enjoying the moments, mainly at the table
over a long lunch or dinner or at a terrace by the seaside, eating
fresh fish and drinking a glass of wine, where a meal is less about
being fed and more about a social ritual, is a feature of every
Portuguese.
- Shorts breaks in Alentejo or in any other region of the country
makes you feel the clocks tickling slower and invite you to feel the
moment.

11. FOOD AND
DRINK- Diversified;
- Mediterranean style;
- 2 hot dishes a day (lunch and dinner);
- “Bacalhau” or salted codfish (the most traditional fish) more than
101 different dishes;
- Pastry based on monastery recipes and mainly made with eggs;
- Douro and Alentejo are the main two main wine regions;
- Porto Wine and Madeira wine are one of our main ambassadors
abroad.

12. RESILIENCE
- Our country survived nine centuries of battles, wars,
earthquakes, revolutions, the CREATION and LOSS of the FIRST
GLOBAL EMPIRE;
- The country with the oldest borders in Europe, settled in 1139;
- The first to adopt its local language as the official language;
- Although a very welcoming country with a huge diversity in
sites and landscapes and very nice people who are always ready
to host newcomers, we underestimate ourselves and are too
humble as to our qualities as a people and as a nation.

13. “SAUDADE”
- The word that really defines Portugal and the Portuguese;
- Defines a mixture of feelings: loss, absence, distance and love;
- “Fado”, our national song, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage,
expresses all those feelings;
- It is said to have appeared during the Discoveries Age to define the
solitude of the sailors and the consequent sadness and melancholy
when thinking of their beloved ones.

14. Used Sources:
http://www.lisbonlux.com/magazine/what-is-portugal-10-words-that-define-an-
indefinable-country