Portugal
Europe Β· Capital: Lisbon
How it is run: Portugal is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Portugal is home to 10.8 million people in Southern Europe, where people speak Portuguese.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
10.8 million people
That is 0.1% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
92,090 kmΒ²
Roughly the size of Italy or the state of Arizona.
ποΈ How crowded
About 117 people per square kilometre β busy towns with countryside in between.
π Size in its region
13th most people in Europe
18th largest by land in Europe.
π£οΈ Official languages
Portuguese
π° Money
Euro (β¬)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
82.4 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$32,082
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
π’ Living in cities
61.5% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
π Kids under 15
12.7% of the population
An older country β there are more grandparents than schoolchildren.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+351
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.pt
π§ People here are called
Portuguese
π·οΈ Name at home
Portugal
Also written: Portuguesa, Portuguese Republic, RepΓΊblica Portuguesa.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Western European and Others Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Portugal touches 1 neighbour by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Portugal
French
Portugal
Arabic
Ψ§ΩΨ¨Ψ±ΨͺΨΊΨ§Ω
Chinese
θ‘θη
Japanese
γγ«γγ¬γ«
Russian
ΠΠΎΡΡΡΠ³Π°Π»ΠΈΡ
Portuguese
Portugal
German
Portugal
Put it in perspective π
- Russia β the most populated country in Europe β has about 13.3Γ as many people as Portugal.
- Portugal covers roughly 877 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Portugal lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 5,402 km.
Flags through time π
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Portugal change.
Kingdom of Portugal
Blue and white with the royal arms of the seafaring kingdom.
Republic
Green and red replaced the royal colours, keeping the navigators' sphere.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: π΅πΉ is the flag of Portugal. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is PT.
π·οΈ Official name
Portuguese Republic
ποΈ Capital
Lisbon
π Region
Europe Β· Southern Europe
π€ Country code
PT
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Portugal π
BelΓ©m Tower
Ships setting off to explore the world sailed past this river fortress in the 1500s. Carved stone ropes and a rhinoceros decorate its walls.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
39.5Β° N, 8.0Β° W
π Half of the world
Northern & Western hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC-1 β when it is noon in London it is about 11:00 in Lisbon.
- Portugal sits in Southern Europe, in the northern and western half of the globe.
- The capital of Portugal is Lisbon β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- Portugal shares its part of the world with Vatican City. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Portugal is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- π΅πΉ is the flag of Portugal. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is PT.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Portugal has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Portugal can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Portugal spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Portugal?
Lisbon
Which money do people spend in Portugal?
Euro (β¬)
How many countries share a land border with Portugal?
1 β Spain.
Roughly how many people live in Portugal?
10.8 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.