Aveiro.ppt

HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVITIES.ppt

Portugal is situated in the most western part of Europe, in the Iberian Peninsula. To the North and to the East, it is bordered by Spain. To the West and to the South, the Atlantic Ocean "borders" it. Its area is 92,212 square kilometers. It was founded in 1139 in Guimarães. It has about 10,145 million inhabitants. It owns two archipelagoes in the Atlantic Ocean: the Azores (made up of 9 islands: S. Miguel, Faial, Pico, Terceira, S. Jorge, Graciosa, St. Maria, Flores and Corvo) and Madeira (Madeira, Porto Santo, Selvagens). Its capital is Lisbon. However, Porto, in the North, is also a well-known city, as well as Coimbra (right in the centre, where one of the most ancient Universities in Europe is situated; it was founded in 1290). The South attracts thousands of tourists, mainly because of its sunny and warm ocean water. On 25th April 1974, there was a bloodless revolution that put an end not only to a Fascist dictatorship (that lasted 48 years) but also to the colonial war that was being fought in the former Portuguese colonies (Angola, Mozambique, Guiné-Bissau, S. Tomé e Príncipe and Cabo Verde). The official language is Portuguese.

Portugal joined the European Union on 1st January 1986 and the euro started to be used on 1st January 2002.

Famous Portuguese people:

. António Guterres (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)

. Egas Moniz (Nobel prize winner: Medicine, in 1949)

. José Saramago (Nobel prize winner: Literature, in 1998)

. Aristides de Sousa Mendes (diplomat who ignored and disobeyed the orders of the Portuguese government for the safety of World War II refugees. He signed over 30,000 visas, thus saving thousands of refugees who were seeking to escape from the Nazis; 12,000 of them were Jews).

. Amália Rodrigues (fado singer)

. Mariza (fado singer)

. Cristiano Ronaldo (football player)

. José Mourinho (football coach, nicknamed "the special one")

. Nelson Évora (Gold medal Olympic winner, in 2017)

. Vanessa Fernandes (triathlon silver medal Olympic winner, in 2008, triathlon world champion in 2007 and triathlon European champion along five consecutive years (2004-2008).

Portugal is well-known abroad mainly for its natural landscapes, hospitality and weather. It's also worldwide known for its Porto wine, which has been produced since the 17th century in Douro, a region that was awarded a World Heritage in 2001 by UNESCO. The grapes to make Porto wine can only be grown in the Douro region, because of its specific weather and soil conditions.

"Fado" is a typical kind of song. The most traditional instrument is the Portuguese guitar.

Agrupamento de Escolas de Moimenta da Beira - Escola Básica e Secundária was established in 1974 to meet the needs of a diverse local community. It is situated in Moimenta da Beira, a small town in the centre of Portugal. It is attended by 11-to18-year-old students (currently about 750). Apart from the state regular courses, it also offers professional/vocational ones. It has 137 teachers. Many students get involved in several extra-curricular activities such as Erasmus+ projects, Persona (a drama group), the Youth Parliament, the Club of the Voice, the Club of Sciences, the Masterclass (a school orchestra), PEPS (a project that aims at Sexual Education), etc. All these activities contribute to our students' awareness of their role in the community and also as European citizens. Our school is well-equipped in terms of ICT. It has, for example, a Snoezelen room, a Robotics one and a telescope.