Portugal

Location

The latitude and longitude of Portugal are 36•N and 9•W.

It is west of Spain.

It is on a peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean.

Place

Physical Characteristics: The Tagus River cuts Portugal in half, with mountains and plateaus in the north and rolling plains in the south. Portugal also consists of some archipelagos located in the Atlantic Ocean. The climate zone is Mediterranean, which is why Portugal is known to be one of the warmest countries in Europe.

Human Characteristics: The population is about 10.5 million people, with the capital at Lisbon. The Portuguese culture is influenced by other nations in Europe. Painting is the richest in history. Portuguese painters have been very prominent throughout time, even more so during the 20th century.

Human Environment Interaction

Humans Affect Environment: Tons of carbon dioxide escapes from vehicles, severely polluting the air. The water is being polluted by oil and cellulose waste. 2.6 million tons of solid waste can be carried by erosion, which threatens the wildlife of Portugal.

Environment’s Response: The temperature and precipitation has been affected by the pollution. The estimated amount the temperature will raise in the 21st century is 3-7•C. Many regions of Portugal has a change of a 20-40% decrease of precipitation in the 21st century.

Movement

People: People get around in Portugal usually by using the roadways (buses, cars, etc.) and trains. Airplanes are used, but they are not as common. Boats are mainly for goods.

Goods: The main exports of Portugal are petroleum, cars/car parts, footwear, and paper. The main imports are petroleum, car/car parts, and medicine.

Ideas: Portugal was once taken over and run by a different government, which changed the Portuguese culture. The country also went to colonize other lands, mainly in Africa and South America. A country that is still affected by Portuguese culture is Brazil.

Region

Portugal is in Mediterranean Europe.

Mediterranean Europe is very warm and has beautiful beaches. The region also has much history, ranging from ancient ruins to amazing art. This can attract people to Portugal because of the warm climate and beautiful history.