Jazz's+Europe+Project

=Portugal=

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Portugal is a diverse Country. It has interesting characteristics that make it unique. Portugal’s arts and culture have been developing over thousands of years and have been adopted from many other areas. The food of Portugal has a delicious array of flavors, also from other cultures that have been adopted and changed into it’s own.The physical geography affects how people live and the way they work.

Geography
 Portugal is located in West Europe. It is west of Spain and located on the Iberian Peninsula. The West half of Portugal is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal is slightly larger than Maine, if compared, at 92,345 square kilometers (35,655 square miles.) Being located next to Spain, they share some of the same physical features. Portugal is filled with hills and mountains, and coastal plains.

 Portugal is typically put into thirds or halves based on geography. The  Pyrenees mountains cut off the Iberian peninsula from the rest of Europe. Mountains and hills cover the northern third of Portugal. These are mainly the Cantabrian mountains that stretch from Spain. The highest point is a peak in the Serra da Estrela, at 1,991 m or 6,532 ft. The southern and western part of Portugal is mostly coastal plain. This contains the lowest point in Portugal. All throughout Portugal are four major river that flow. These are the Douro, Guadiana, Mondego and the Tagus. Physical features of this land, and all of Europe, influence the way and where people choose to work and live.

Arts
 Portugal has very interesting arts and culture. Their culture is based on history and this history dates back to the prehistoric times. Culture here has also been heavily influenced by many other countries and customs over the years. Moorish and Roman invasions have left archaeological remains throughout the landscape. The Ecsoural cave paintings, Conímbriga’s Roman townships, and the temple of Diana in Evora, are a few of the cultural "gems" found in Portugal. The usual Moorish architecture can be found in Southern towns Olaho and Tavira. Arts and architecture follow the French, Flemish, and Italian styles. Not to mention, inspiration of Brazil's wealth of jewels and gold has been incorporated into decoration. Music is also a relatively large part in Portugal's culture. Fado style in traditional in their music. There are two main types of Fado; Lisbon and Comibra. It has said to be officially originated in the 1820's. This style of music is known for its melancholy meloday and expressive nature. Instruments that are typically involved are one or two twelve string guitars and an eight string bass . Another important part in the arts of Portugal is literature. Novels are usually based on tempestuous and obscure meditations on life. Fernando Pessoa, Amelia Garrett, José Maria de Eça de Queiroz, Eça de Queiros’s, O’Neill are a few of the most famous writers from Portugal.

Food
 This is probably one of the funnest subject to talk about. Food, just as well as culture, has been influence by other areas. Tomatoes and potatoes were brought to Europe. Then there were Brazilian chili's and pineapples. This shaped European dishes. But in Portugal, Romans brought onions, garlic, olives, and grapes. Moors brought rice, figs, lemons and oranges. These ingredients, helped develop the flavors of Portuguese cuisine.

 Today, foods differ between different areas in Portugal, but there are still some constants. Cinnamon and curry are apart of traditional cuisines. As are fresh and shellfish. The national dish of Portugal is Bacalhau, which is salted dried cod. This dish surfaced in the 16th century and since then, there have been 365 different ways of preparing it; one for each day of the year. Horse mackerel and grilled sardines are popular in coastal towns. Artsitic displays of lobster, shrimp, oysters, and clams are also popular at restaurants all over the country. Another national dish is "". It is a thick stew that consists of many different meats and vegetables, and is also prepared many different ways. The ways the set out their meals is very different from ours. Breakfast is usually made up of coffee and rolls. But lunch lasts up to two hours! It is served between 12-2pm or 1-3pm. Dinner is served late; after 8 o'clock. This final meal consists of three courses. Although, their desserts sound like the mos delicious course. Often, desserts are cinnamon-flavored rice, flan, and caramel custard. The mos peculiar part, is that they also include an array of cheeses as well.

 =References=

//Infoplease//. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2016.

"Portugal." //Geography of, Landforms//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2016.

"Culture." //Portugal//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2016.

"A Literature of Disquiet: The Best Portuguese Writers." //The Culture Trip//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2016.

"PORTUGUESE CUISINE." //Portuguese CUISINE//. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2016.