The capital of Brazil, a bell tower decorated with monks' skeletons: unusual facts about Portugal that will surprise you

Portugal is one of the most popular countries among tourists. But what do we know about it? That it has a sea, many beautiful cities and UNESCO monuments? However, there are many more interesting facts associated with this country. OBOZREVATEL has collected a few of them.

1. Portugal is home to the oldest bookstore in the world. "Bertrand was opened in Lisbon in 1732. Nowadays, a large network operates under this brand, with branches in different cities of the country.

2. Portuguese is considered the 6th most popular language in the world. More than 240 million people are fluent in it. The majority of native speakers live in Brazil.

3. Lisbon has the longest bridge in the world. Its total length is more than 17 km.

4. Despite the fact that the map of Europe has changed many times throughout history, Portugal's borders have never moved since 1139. This makes the country as stable as possible.

5. Not only is the largest production of Port wine located here, but the country is also the main exporter of wine corks. Portugal accounts for 70% of the total production of this product.

6. Britain should be grateful for its tea traditions to the Portuguese Princess Catarina de Braganza. In 1662, she became the wife of King Charles II of England. Since then, the woman has been actively popularizing this hot drink and sharing the secrets of real tea ceremonies. Moreover, the oldest company producing this product is located in Portugal.

7. The locals are big fans of sweets. There are more than 200 types of buns and cookies. Most of the recipes, moreover, belong to the church ministers: monks and nuns.

8. Since 2016, the country has had the lowest birth rate in Europe. And babies here cannot be called by just any name. There is a whole list of names that are banned.

9. Portugal gave up its last colony just 20 years ago. It was the province of Macau, which now belongs to China. Thus, this country has retained the status of a colonial empire for the longest time. However, the country is famous for its incredible democracy. For example, slavery was banned here in 1761, when Europe had not even considered such a decision.

10. Almost all Portuguese people play musical instruments. At the same time, a third of the country's population does not have a higher education.

11. Almost 100% of all energy used in the country comes from alternative sources: wind, sun, water.

12. Portugal has a bell tower decorated with skeletons of 5 thousand Franciscan monks. It is located in the city of Evora. And in Faro, there is a church lined with skulls of clergymen.

13. The Portuguese are a very religious people. Only 9% of the population consider themselves atheists. Because of this, abortion was legalized only a few years ago.

14. One of the most famous football players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, was born in this country. He spent his childhood in the city of Funchal on the amazing island of Madeira.

15. An interesting fact: for 14 years, the capital of Portugal was located in Rio de Janeiro. The royal family was hiding in Brazil from Napoleon.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote about the peculiarities of life in Japan, China, Germany , and Malta.