Portuguese Wedding And bridal jewellery Collection 1

Portuguese Wedding And bridal jewellery.
By Aamir Mannan.

Background:

An independent kingdom since 1143, Portugal established its continental frontiers in 1297 and is one of the oldest nations in Europe. The former world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, the occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year Portugal granted 

independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is member-country of the European Union since 1986. Today the country enjoys a steady economic growth. border countries: Spain countries in which Portuguese is the official language: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Brazil, Timor-Leste Official Name:

República Portuguesa short form: Portugal int'l short form: Portugal int'l long form: Portuguese Republic

ISO Country Code: pt Time: Time Zone: WET - Western European Time Local Time = UTC 0h

Actual Time: Sun-Sept-15  17:31 Daylight Saving Time (DST) March - October (UTC +1) Country Calling Code: +351 Capital City: Lisboa (Lisbon) (metropolitan area 

pop. 1.9 million) Other Cities: Faro, Porto (Oporto, metro. area 1.7 million). Government. Founding of the Portuguese State: 1143 Founding of the Republic: 1910 Government type: Republic ruled by a Constitution.Constitution: Effective 25 April 1976; revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 25 November 1992, and 3 September 1997. Geography: Location: Southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, west of Spain, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean.

Area: 92,090 km² (35,556 sq. mi.), including the Azores and Madeira Islands. Terrain: Mountainous in the north; rolling plains in the central south. Climate: Maritime temperate, average annual temperature is 16°C (61°F) People: Nationality: Portuguese (singular and plural). Population: 10.5 million

(2011) Ethnic groups: Homogeneous Mediterranean stock with small black African and Eastern European minorities. Religion: Roman Catholic, 97%. Language: Portuguese; of Latin origin, Portuguese is one of the most widely spoken European language in the world and is mother tongue to about 200 million people. Literacy: 94%

Natural resources: Fish, tungsten, iron, copper, tin, and uranium ores. Agriculture: Products--forestry, fisheries, cork, wine. Agriculture products: Grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products. Industries: Textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism. Exports partners: Spain 22.7%, Germany 15.2%, France 12.9%, UK 10.5%, USA 5.8%, Italy 4.8%, Belgium 4.6% (2003) Imports partners: Spain 29.1%, Germany 14.7%, France 9.9%, Italy 6.4%, UK 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6% (2003) Currency: Euro (EUR)