Portugal (pôrˈchəgəl) [key], officially Portuguese Republic, republic (2005 est. pop. 10,566,000), 35,553 sq mi (92,082 sq km), SW Europe, on the western side of the Iberian Peninsula and including the Madeira Islands and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal is bordered by Spain on the east and north and by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and south. The capital and by far the largest city is Lisbon.

Portugal occupies the western part of the Iberian Peninsula and is slightly smaller than Indiana. The country is crossed by three large rivers that rise in Spain, flow into the Atlantic, and divide the country into three geographic areas. The Minho River, part of the northern boundary, cuts through a mountainous area that extends south to the vicinity of the Douro River. South of the Douro, the mountains slope to the plains around the Tejo River. The remaining division is the southern one of Alentejo. The Azores stretch over 340 mi (547 km) in the Atlantic and consist of nine islands with a total area of 902 sq mi (2,335 sq km). Madeira, consisting of two inhabited islands, Madeira and Porto Santo, and two groups of uninhabited islands, lie in the Atlantic about 535 mi (861 km) southwest of Lisbon.

The culture of Portugal has always been influenced by the Italian, French and the Flemish. Fandango, Two Steps Waltz, Corridinho and Malhão are some of the great folk dances of the country. Ninety five of the population of the country speaks Portuguese. The family is the integral part of the Portugal culture. Family is given more preference than the society or business. The Portuguese have a traditional and conservative mentality.

INDIAN MISSIONS IN PORTUGAL

Ambassador of India, Mr. B.B. Tyagi
Rua Pero da Covilha, 16,
Restelo – Lisbon 1400-297,
Portugal.

Telephone: +00351–213041095 & 213041099
Fax: +00351-213016576 & 213021494
E-Mail:ambassador@indembassy-lisbon.org
Website:www.indembassy-lisbon.org