According to abbreviationfinder, Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and the Atlantic, since it is the only capital in Europe with Atlantic beaches. Lisbon was and is the capital of the sea. In the 16th century, caravels and ships that arrived by sea to distant India left the Tagus beaches.
Geography
Climate
Lisbon is one of the warmest European capitals. The spring and summer months are generally sunny, with maximum temperatures around 28 ° C during July and August, and minimum temperatures of around 16 ° C. The autumn and winter are typically rainy and windy, with some sunny days. The temperature rarely drops below 5 ° C, which normally remains at an average of 10 ° C. On average, there are 3300 hours of sunny weather per year and 100 days with rain. The climate of Lisbon, which is the Mediterranean climate, is highly influenced by the Gulf Stream
Demography
The city’s population is characterized by its ups and downs throughout its history. Currently, the population of Lisbon is declining although that of the metropolitan area is increasing due to the fact that the population is moving from the center to the periphery or even to other neighboring cities. The population of the city is 564 477 according to the 2001 census, the metropolitan area has 2 641 006 residents in an area close to 3000 km², about a third of the population of Portugal. See population of Portugal.
The population density of the city is 6518.1 residents per km². The Lisbon metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing urban agglomerations in the European Union, and its population is estimated to increase to 4.5 million residents in 2050. In the current demographic structure of Lisbon, women represent more than half of the population (54%). The city has an aging demographic pyramid with 23% of people aged 65 and over), while the Portuguese average is 16%. 13% of the population is under 15 years old, 9% is between 15 and 24 and the remaining 53% is between 25 and 64.
Curiosities
As a curiosity to add that the people of Lisbon receive the nickname of alfacinhas, due to the intensive cultivation of lettuces that the ancient residents of Lisbon did in the fields near the capital.
Social development
Education
Lisbon re-founded its own university in 1911 after centuries of inactivity, bringing together various pre-existing schools and university colleges such as the Escola Politécnica.
In this city there are three public universities; the University of Lisbon, the Technical University of Lisbon and the New University of Lisbon. Among the private establishments, the Portuguese Catholic University and the ISCTE stand out.
Despite the multiple educational institutions, Lisbon does not have any university that is included in the top hundred worldwide.
Sports
The sports clubs Sporting Clube de Portugal and Sport Lisboa e Benfica, play in different sports modalities of the highest categories of the Portuguese and European competitions. Los Belenenses is another important sports club with a great tradition in Portuguese sport, also having its headquarters in the capital.
The football is the most popular sport in Lisbon. The most important football clubs are Benfica, whose stadium is the Estádio da Luz, with five UEFA stars, and which has 65,000 seats. Benfica have twice won the UEFA Champions League. For their part, Sporting Lisbon also play in a five-star stadium.
They won the Cup Winners’ Cup once and have been finalists in the UEFA Cup. They play at the José Alvalade Stadium with a capacity for 52,000 people. The colors of the stadium are green and white. There are also the Belenenses, playing at the Estádio do Restelo in the parish of Belém.
The football is probably the second most popular sport in Lisbon, having four teams in the first league. The three great sports teams, Belenenses, Benfica and Sporting have a professional team while SL Olivais is an amateur team.
Lisbon hosted the Men ‘s World Handball Championship in 2003, which was played at the Pavilhão Atlântico. The Belenenses, Benfica and Sporting have a professional team, playing in the first division. The Basketball professional has followers in Lisbon with Benfica and Belenenses as teams representing the city.
Another popular sport is hockey, which after the victory of the national team has gained a great following in the city, especially among those who support Lisbon’s greatest team, Benfica. In March, tens of thousands of participants cross the April 25 Bridge in the Lisbon Half Marathon. In 2006 and 2007, the Dakar Rally started from Belém.
Culture
Lisbon is one of the great European cultural centers. Older than Rome, the epicenter of discoveries and capital of the empire since the 15th century, the city has preserved cultural relations with the former Portuguese colonies, being a meeting point for various cultures, the first place in which it orients, the Indies, Africa and America met.
The Alfama-Baixa / Chiado-Bairro Alto axis is a stage for erudite culture and for popular, young and traditional culture. On any Lisbon night, even during the week, the offer is varied.
Economic development
Lisbon is the richest city in Portugal with a GDP per capita higher than the European average. The port of Lisbon competes with that of Bilbao as the main container port of the “European Atlantic Arc”.
It is equipped with three docks for various cruises: Alcântara, Rocha Conde Obidos and Santa Apolónia. On the other hand, the city has several marinas, such as in Belém, Santo Amaro, Bom Sucesso, Alcântara and Olivais.
Lisbon, as the capital of Portugal, has an economy focused on services. Most of the headquarters of the multinationals in the country are located in Lisbon and it is also the 9th city in the world that holds the most congresses.
Lisbon Metropolitan Area is heavily industrialized, especially in the following sectors: refinery petroleum, textiles, shipbuilding, steel and fishing.
