Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. The municipality of Lisbon has a population of 545,796. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. About a fifth of the nation’s people live in the Lisbon area. The name of the city in Portuguese is Lisboa. Lisbon lies in southwestern Portugal at the estuary (mouth) of the Tagus River. The estuary empties into the Atlantic Ocean about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the center of the city. Lisbon is a major port and the political, economic, and cultural center of Portugal.
The city
covers 32 square miles (84 square kilometers). It overlooks the Tagus estuary, one of Europe’s most important natural harbors. The 25th of April Bridge extends 3,323 feet (1,013 meters) over the Tagus River. It is one of the world’s longest suspension bridges.
Downtown Lisbon is a low, flat district next to the harbor known as the Baixa. The rest of the city is hilly, with commercial, industrial, and residential districts. The Baixa and Chiado neighborhoods have the city’s finest shops.
Lisbon has many public squares, statues of national heroes, treelined avenues, and small parks. Most people live in pastel-colored houses and apartment buildings. Many tourists visit the Sao Carlos Opera House and the Castle of Sao Jorge, once the home of Portugal’s kings. Another attraction is the Tower of Belem. It was built in the early 1500’s to honor Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Lisbon has several universities, including Portugal’s largest university, the University of Lisbon. Portugal’s national library is in the city.
Economy.
Large shipments of Portuguese ceramics, cork, sardines, tomato paste, and wine are exported from Lisbon’s harbor. One of Europe’s chief shipyards is across the Tagus from Lisbon. Portugal’s chief banks, insurance companies, and investment firms are in Lisbon. An international airport and major railroad lines serve the city. Public transportation in Lisbon includes buses, electric trains, streetcars, and a subway system.
History.
In ancient times, the Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans colonized Lisbon. The Visigoths captured Lisbon from the Romans during the A.D. 400’s. The Moors, a Muslim people from northern Africa, seized Lisbon during the 700’s. In 1147, Christian forces led by Afonso I, the first king of Portugal, retook the city from the Moors.
Lisbon became the official capital of Portugal in the late 1200’s. During the 1400’s and 1500’s, Lisbon served as headquarters for explorers and adventurers who established Portugal’s empire in Africa, Asia, and South America. In 1755, an earthquake destroyed about two-thirds of Lisbon and killed more than 60,000 people. The Baixa was built as part of the reconstruction of the city.
During World War II (1939-1945), Lisbon became a center of international political activity because it was a neutral city. On April 25, 1974, a military revolt in Lisbon overthrew the dictatorship that had ruled Portugal since 1926.
In 1998, Lisbon held a world’s fair called Expo ’98 that attracted millions of visitors.
