Portugal was established as a country in the 12th century and it maintained the same defined borders since 1139, one of the oldest countries in Europe, is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula lying between Spain in the north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean in the south and west. The signs of the Portuguese presence around the world are still visible and this is the reason why Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages worldwide and the Portuguese are one of the peoples more open to other civilizations. Portugal has been a Republic since 1911 and its government is a Parliamentary Democracy. A member of the European Union (EU) since 1986, Portugal is a nation in full development that has always kept its best treasure - its ability to welcome people. This makes this country an attractive and safe place.

Despite being a relatively small country (516Km long and 218Km wide), the Portuguese natural heritage is extremely rich and diverse. The average altitude is low (240m), with the highest mountain range being the Serra da Estrela, in central Portugal. In the northwest, there are green fertile valleys and tree-covered mountains while vast areas of high plateaus predominate in the northeast. Along the western coast as far as Lisbon the topography is a mixture of lowlands and bays. Moving south the landscape starts to change to a uniform low relief. In the south lies the popular tourist destination of the Algarve.

Geography
In the Southwest corner of Europe lies Portugal, one fifth of the Iberian Peninsula it shares with Spain. Portugal has its own language, the 6th most spoken in the world, its own culture and cuisine. Portugal's shape is rectangular, the longest north-south distance is 349 miles/561 km and widest east-west distance is 135 miles/218 km. It's roughly the size of the U.S. state of Indiana. The country's modest dimensions make it easy to visit when time is short. Portugal is divided into regions, each offers unique features, history, scenery and cuisine. The regions are from south to north: Algarve, Alentejo, Lisbon and Lisbon Coast, Estremadura and Ribatejo, the Beiras, Douro and Tras-os-Montes and the Minho.

Portugal also includes 2 island groups: Azores (800 miles Southwest of Lisbon) and Madeira (600 miles South of Lisbon)

Climate
With its mild climate, 3000 hours of sunshine per year and 850 kms of splendid beaches bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal is the perfect holiday destination all year round.

Portugal's climate is mainly Mediterranean. The southern regions are dry and sunny with warm/hot summers and mild/rainy winters. Traveling north, the weather pattern becomes cooler and wetter, especially in winter. Snow is possible in the mountains of the northeast. Overall, Portugal enjoys an enviable climate which explains why it's so popular with northern Europeans looking for relief from their too often less comfortable weather.

The Azores Island have a moderate Marine climate with year round mild temperatures and rain. Madeira and its neighbor island, Porto Santo, are subtropical with normally dry weather year round.

Population
Portugal has a population of about 10 million.

The population density is at its greatest in Lisbon, the capital and its suburbs, where about 1.9 million people live. The second largest city in Portugal is Oporto in the north.

Generally speaking, there are more people living in the country's coastal regions than in the inland areas.

Religion
The majority of Portuguese are Catholics, but the Portuguese Constitution guarantees religious freedom and there are a number of different religions in Portugal.

Language
From a Latin root, Portuguese is spoken by about 250 million people in every continent, and is the 5th most spoken language in the world and the 3rd, if we only consider the European languages.

The Portuguese-speaking countries are scattered all over the world. Portuguese is spoken in Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe), in South America (Brazil) and in Asia, (East Timor, the youngest nation in the world), and it is also the official language in Macao Special Administrative Region of China.

In Portugal there are lots of people who are able to communicate in English, French and Spanish

Benefits of Migration
Portugal is a prosperous country located in the southwest of Europe. It enjoys a high standard of living due to an advanced economy based on the IT, agriculture, mining and fishing sectors, as well as having a peaceful culture.

• Visa-free travel to all Europe & Schengen countries
• Minimum stay needed
• Full rights to live, work and study in Portugal fully extendible to family members
• Access to all Portuguese public services, including health care and education
• Eligible for passport/citizenship after 6 years, which allows holders to stay in entire EU block
• Minimal documentation required.
• Can stay in UK, Germany, Italy France etc. (entire EU Block) after attaining Passport

Portugal Freelance Open Work Permit
Portugal is a long country of emigration, has now become a country of net immigration, Immigration to Portugal has grown since the 1990s. This is in affect an "Open work permit" where no employer or sponsor is required and which will allow you to live, work and migrate to Portugal.

Benefits:

• Can include family members and dependents in application
• Minimum government fees
• 6-9 months of processing time until you receive your Portugal Residency Card
• Open to all no minimum experience or minimum educational standard necessary
• Citizenship after 5 years