Portugal - res10

Portugal was occupied by several Germanic peoples, mainly the Suevi and the Visigoths. In the early 8th century Muslim Moors conquered those Christian kingdoms, occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula. The early history of Portugal is shared with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. The name of Portugal derives from the Roman name Portus Cale. Sun-kissed beaches like Cascais and Sagres offer enticements of a more hedonistic sort. Indeed, the dramatic, end-of-the-world cliffs, wild dune-covered beaches, protected coves and long, sandy islands of Portugal's coastline have long enchanted visitors and locals alike. In the first millennium BC Celtic people started trickling into the Iberian Peninsula, settling northern and western Portugal around 700 BC. Dozens of citânias (fortified villages) popped up, such as the formidable Citânia de Briteiros. Portuguese is the language spoken by 10 million Portuguese and 180 million Brazilians, and is the official language of the African nations of Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé e Príncipe. Lisbon also has a great number of remarkable museums of modern and ancient art, some of which are Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, National Museum of Contemporary Art, National Coach Museum, and Carmo Archaeological Museum. Casa Museu Guerra Junqueiro: Located in the city center, Once home to the legendary Portuguese poet Guerra Junqueiro, this 18th century structure developed and built by Italian architect Niccolò Nasoni. Religious-themed carvings from stone and wood and a rare set of English alabaster sculptures, as well.