Portugal Holidays 2012

The Portuguese Republic is one of the European countries located somewhere on the Iberian Peninsula. It is specifically located on the southwestern part of Europe. As a matter of fact, it is the located on the extreme west of the European mainland. This makes it the last country to the west of Europe’s mainland. It is bordered by Spain to the East and North whereas the Atlantic Ocean borders it to the south and west. Part of the Atlantic Ocean is considered to be Portugal; this being the Madeira and Azores archipelagos. The name ‘Portugal’ was derived from the name ‘Porto’ which is the name of its second largest town.

Geographically, Portugal is relatively rich. It is full of several natural features that make its entire landscape quite appealing to the eye. River Tagus is tends to divide its mainland into two. It flows from Spain all the way through Portugal and enters into the Atlantic Ocean. On the other hand, the northern landscape in Portugal is known to be quite hilly with several plateaus located in this particular region. There are several plateaus and Valley Rivers covering the entire region. However, the southern landscape is the exact opposite. It is full of various rolling plains. This mainly includes the Alentejo and Algrave regions. One of the main natural attraction sites in the region is the Serra da Estrela that is located in the mainland. It is estimated to be about 6,530 feet above the sea level. This makes it one of the highest points in the country. It is very common among tourists especially for winter sports and skiers. It is more common during the winter. The other very common natural site in Portugal is Mount Pico which is located in the Azores, on the island of Pico. The climate is also quite favorable for tourism. Generally speaking, the region experiences a Mediterranean climate. However, some parts tend to experience some semi-arid climate which is also referred to as the steppe climate.

Portugal

The biodiversity in Portugal is another key aspect that helps the region attracts even more tourists in a year. There is a very wide variety of animals that inhabit the wild forests in the region. The most common species are the mammalian fauna that are known to be quite divers and plenty in number. Examples include the Iberian lynx, the wild goat, the fox, the badger, the hare, the weasel, the chameleon, the civet and the brown bear. They are mainly located near the Rio Minho area. Another common type of animal species in the region is the different kinds of migratory birds that are known to fly by the country quite often. The Monchique Mountain and the Cape St. Vincent are some of the spots where the migratory birds are mostly spotted from. Experts also say that the waters surrounding Portugal are the habitat for over 100 freshwater fish varieties. One of the most popular national parks in the region from which one can view such fish species is the Tagus International Natural Park. It is known to attract thousands of tourists on a yearly basis. Research shows that the number of tourists flocking into Portugal yearly will only increase with time. At the moment, tourism and travel are the main economic earners in the tertiary sector. However, the Portugal economy tends to concentrate more on the private investment rather than the public consumption. This has been a major blow for some but the idea has generally helped the Portugal economy reach the heights it has today.

Sintra Portugal

As earlier stated, tourism is among the leading economic earners in the region. However, just like in most of the other regions, the tourism sector is normally at its best during the public holidays of which they are quite a number. However, there are a number of holidays that the government dealt away with as from 2013 due to the recent European financial crisis. These holidays include:

The Republic Day-5th October
Restoration of Independence-1st December
All Saints Day-1st November
Corpus Christi (It has no specific date; it is movable)

In 2012, the main public holidays to be celebrated include:

January 2012

Sunday the 1st-New Year’s Day

This is the usual New Year’s Day when people get to celebrate the beginning of a brand new year.

April 2012

Friday the 6th-Good Friday

This is where people get to remember the death of Christ through crucification.

Monday the 9th-Easter Monday

This is another Easter celebration but this time people get to celebrate the resurrection of Christ on the third and last day.

Wednesday the 25th-Freedom Day

This is the holiday meant to celebrate the 1974 revolution that marked the beginning of Democracy in the region and the end of Dictatorship.

May 2012

Teusday the 1st-Labour Day

It is quite similar to the Labor Day celebrated in the States where people get to celebrate their hard work and contribution to the community.

June 2012

Thursday the 7th-Corpus Christi

It is another Roman Catholic celebration and is celebrated 60 days after Easter. It has no specific date; it is a movable holiday.

Sunday the 10th-Portugal Day

This is more or less same as the National day in other states.

August 2012

Wednesday the 15th-Assumption Day

It is yet another religious holiday, specifically one for the Roman Catholics. It is where they get to celebrate the ascension of Virgin Mary to heaven.

October 2012