Lisbon
| Lisbon Lisboa |
|||
 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | António Costa (elected) PS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | |||
| - City | 84.8 km² (32.7 sq mi) | ||
| Population | |||
| - City | 564,657 | ||
| - Density | 6,368/km² (16,493/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 2,641,006 | ||
| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) | ||
| Website: http://www.cm-lisboa.pt | |||
Lisbon (Portuguese: Lisboa, IPA: [liʒˈboɐ]) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, and the westernmost capital in mainland Europe.
As seat of government and residence of the Head of State, it is the political center of the country.
Lisbon was under Roman rule from 205 B.C.E., when it was already a 1000-year-old town. Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the fifth century, it was captured by Moors in the eighth century, and recaptured by Crusaders in 1147.
Its golden age was during the 15th and 16th centuries, as center of the Portuguese Empire, was destroyed by earthquake in 1755, and was occupied during the Napoleonic Wars.
Geography
Lisbon's name may have derived from Allis Ubbo, meaning "safe harbor" in Phoenician, or from the pre-Roman name of the River Tagus, Lisso or Lucio.
The city is located on the north bank of the Tagus River, the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula, about eight miles (13km) from where the river enters the Atlantic Ocean. The 25th of April Bridge spans the Tagus to the west of the city. East of that bridge, the Tagus broadens into a seven mile (11km) wide bay called the Mar de Palha.
Built up the slopes of a range of low rolling hills, the city occupies an area of 84.8 km² (33 sq mi). The western side of the city is mainly occupied by the Monsanto Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in Europe with an area close to four square miles (10 square kilometres).
Lisbon has a warm climate that is strongly influenced by the Gulf Stream, giving it one of the mildest climates in Europe. Winters are wet and windy, with the average maximum daytime temperature in January of 57.2°F (14°C). On sunny summer days, the temperature reaches an average maximum of around 82.4°F (28°C) in August. Annual rainfall is 28 inches (700mm), spread over 100 rainy days, mostly from October to April.
The oldest district of the city is Alfama, close to the Tagus, which has made it relatively unscathed through the various earthquakes. The Castle of São Jorge and the Lisbon Cathedral are located in this area.
The Baixa (Downtown) or city centre, which is organised in a grid system and a network of squares built after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, was being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The Chiado has cafes, galleries, bookshops, and 18th century religious architecture.
The Bairro Alto (literally upper quarter in Portuguese) is a central residential, shopping and entertainment district. The Baroque-Neoclassical Estrela Basilica is the main attraction of the Estrela district. The Parliament and the Prazeres Cemetery are nearby.
Along the Tagus River, is the historic neighborhood of Belém, the location of the grand Jerónimos Monastery.
Like most big cities, Lisbon is surrounded by numerous satellite cities. Cascais and Estoril are the most interesting neighbouring towns for night life. Palaces, landscapes and historical sites can be found in Sintra and Mafra.
History
Iberian-related peoples lived in the Lisbon region during the Neolithic period, around 4500 B.C.E. The Indo-European Celts invaded after the first millennium B.C.E. and intermarried with the Pre-Indo-European population.
Phoenician remains from the eighth century B.C.E. were found beneath the Mediaeval Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon See), or main Cathedral. The magnificent harbour made it an ideal spot for a settlement to provide foodstuffs to Phoenician ships travelling to the tin islands (modern Isles of Scilly) and Cornwall.
The Greeks knew Lisbon as Olissipo and "Olissipona", a name they thought was derived from Ulysses, who, according to an Ancient Greek myth, founded the city after he left Troy, and departed to the Atlantic to escape the Greek coalition. Later on, the Greek name was corrupted in vulgar Latin to Olissipona.
Roman control
The area was under Roman control from 205 B.C.E. to about 409 C.E. Julius Caesar (100 B.C.E.- 44 B.C.E.), made the settlement a municipium, and named it Felicitas Julia. During the time of Augustus (63 B.C.E.–14 C.E.), the Romans built a great theatre, the Cassian Baths, temples, a large necropolis, a large forum, and multi-storied apartment buildings in the area between the modern Castle hill and Downtown.
Economically, Olissipo was known for its garum, a highly prized fish sauce exported in Amphorae to Rome and other cities. Wine, salt and its famously fast horses were also exported. Trade boomed with the Roman provinces of Britannia and the Rhine, and with tribes living up the river Tagus.
A broad road connected Olissipo to Western Hispania's two other large cities, Bracara Augusta (today's Portuguese Braga), and Emerita Augusta, the capital of Lusitania (now Mérida in Spain).
Christian center
Olissipo was a centre for the dissemination of Christianity. Its first attested Bishop was St Potamius (c. 356), and martyrs during Emperor Diocletian's persecutionss (303–311) included Maxima, Verissimus, and Julia.
Sarmatian Alans and the Germanic Vandals, invaded Olissipo and controlled the region from 409 to 429. The Germanic Suebi, who established a kingdom in Gallaecia (modern Galicia and northern Portugal) from 409 to 585, also controlled Lisbon for long periods of time. In 585 the Suebi kingdom was included in the Germanic Visigothic kingdom of Toledo, that comprised all of the Iberian Peninsula. Lisbon was then called Ulishbona.
Moorish invasion
The Muslims of North Africa (Moors) took Lisbon around 711 when they overran the Iberian Peninsula. The Moors, who stayed for 433 years, called the city al-ʾIšbūnah and built numerous mosques, houses, and a new city wall, named the Cerca Moura. Arabic was the official language. Islam was the official religion, although Christians could keep their religion but required to pay the jizyah tax.
The Reconquista
In 1147, as part of the Reconquista, a period of 800 years during which Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Iberian Peninsula from the Muslims, crusader knights led by Afonso I of Portugal (1109–1185), besieged and reconquered Lisbon. Arabic lost its place in everyday life, and any remaining Muslim population were gradually converted to Roman Catholicism, or expelled, and the mosques were turned into churches. Lisbon then had a population of 154,000.
Lisbon received its first ''foral'', a royal document to establish a concelho (Council) and regulate its administration, borders and privileges in 1179. As a result, the population would come under crown jurisdiction.
In a raid against Lisbon in 1189, the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur took 3000 female and child captives.[1]
Capital city
Lisbon became the de facto capital city of Portugal in 1255 due to its central location. The first Portuguese university was founded in Lisbon in 1290 by Dinis I of Portugal (1279–1325). During the last centuries of the Middle Ages, the city expanded substantially and became an important trading post with both northern Europe and Mediterranean cities.
Vasco da Gama (1460 or 1469 –1524) led a Portuguese fleet of four ships to India from Lisbon in 1498, one of numerous Portuguese expeditions of the Age of Discovery departing from Lisbon during the 15th to 17th centuries.
The city became the European hub of commerce with Africa, India, the Far East and, later, Brazil, exploring riches like spices, slaves, sugar, textiles and other goods. The first Portuguese census in 1527 counted 65,000 inhabitants in Lisbon, a considerable number of whom became rich.
Under the rule of King Manuel I (1495–1521) Portugal developed Manueline architecture, that celebrated the voyages of discovery, Manuel, and God. The city was endowed with larger and more luxurious buildings. The Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery, both of which were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Portugal lost its independence to Spain in 1580 after a succession crisis, and the 1640 revolt that restored the Portuguese independence took place in Lisbon (see Philip III of Portugal). In the early 18th century, gold from Brazil allowed King John V to sponsor the building of several Baroque churches and theatres in the city.
Earthquake
The Great Lisbon Earthquake struck on November 1, 1755, at around 9.40 in the morning.[2] The earthquake was followed by a tsunami and fires, which caused near-total destruction of Lisbon, and adjoining areas. Geologists estimated the earthquake approached magnitude 9 on the Richter scale, with an epicenter in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 km (120 mi) west-southwest of Cape St. Vincent. Estimates place the death toll in Lisbon, after the earthquake, tsunami, and fires that blazed for days, at around 60,000 people,[3], and more than 12,000 buildings were destroyed, making it one of the most destructive earthquakes in history.
The city was rebuilt largely according to the plans of Prime Minister Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the 1st Marquess of Pombal (1699–1782); hence the designation of the lower town as Baixa Pombalina (Pombaline Downtown). Pombal demolished the earthquake ruins and rebuilt the downtown following modern urban rules.
Invasion, revolution
Lisbon alternated between French and British control during the Peninsular War, a contest between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s. Troops of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821) invaded Portugal in 1807, sending Prince-Regent João (future John VI) and his family in flight to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Rio replaced Lisbon as the capital of the Portuguese empire from 1808 to 1821.
Ten years of revolutionary outbursts in Lisbon followed as liberal constitutionalists and absolutists fought over succession to the throne.
In 1879, a new main street, the Avenida da Liberdade was opened. The six-lane carriageway had wide blue mosaic sidewalks with palms, fountains, ponds stocked with goldfish and swans, and outdoor cafés beneath the trees. By 1885, Lisbon covered 20,378 acres (8,250 hectares), and had a population of 300,000.
Lisbon was the centre of the republican coup of October 5, 1910 which instated the Portuguese Republic. Previously, it was also the stage of the assassination of Carlos I of Portugal, on February 1, 1908.
António de Oliveira Salazar (1889-1970) took control of the near-bankrupt country in 1932, and established an authoritarian corporate state until his retirement in 1968.
During World War II Lisbon was one of the very few neutral, open European Atlantic ports, a major gateway for refugees to the U.S. and a spy nest.
In 1974, Lisbon was the central destination point of the Carnation Revolution a left-leaning military coup[1] that started on April 25, 1974.
In 1988, a fire near the historical centre of Chiado greatly disrupted normal life in the area for about 10 years. In 1994, Lisbon was declared the European Capital of Culture.
The 1998 World’s Fair, held in Lisbon, sparked a waterfront renovation, giving Lisbon a new look. The expo was timed to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama's sea voyage to India.
Government
Portugal is a parliamentary representative democratic republic, in which the president, who is chief of state and is directly elected to a five-year term, appoints the prime minister, who is head of government, and council of ministers, according to assembly election results. There is also a council of state, which is a presidential advisory body composed of six senior civilian officers. The unicameral assembly of the republic (Assembleia da Republica) has 230 members who are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms.
Portugal consists of 308 municipalities (Portuguese singular/plural: concelho/concelhos), which are subdivided into more than 4000 parishes (freguesia/freguesias). Municipalities in continental Portugal are gathered in 18 Districts,
Lisbon is the seat of the district of Lisbon and capital of the Lisbon region. There are 53 freguesias (civil parishes) in Lisbon:
Lisbon is divided into historical "bairros" with no clearly defined boundaries, such as Amoreiras, Bairro Alto, Bica, Alfama, Mouraria, Avenidas Novas, Intendente, Chelas and Lapa.
Economy
Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the two decades to 2009, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. Gross domestic product per capita, estimated at $22,000 in 2008, stands at roughly two-thirds of the European Union average. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. [4]
The Lisbon region is the wealthiest region in Portugal, is the second most important financial and economic center of the Iberian Peninsula, [5] and it is well above the European Union's GDP per capita average – it produces 45 percent of the Portuguese GDP.
Lisbon's economy is based primarily on the service sector, which employs 75 percent of the labour force. Most of the headquarters of multinationals operating in Portugal are concentrated in the Grande Lisboa subregion, specially in the Oeiras municipality.
The Euronext Lisbon stock exchange, part of the pan-European Euronext system together with the stock exchanges of Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris, is tied with the New York Stock Exchange since 2007, forming the multinational NYSE Euronext group of stock exchanges.
A temperate climate, beaches, castles, and historic districts attract tourists every year. Tourism revenues have helped offset negative national trade balances.
Lisbon Metropolitan Area is heavily industrialized, especially the south bank of the Tagus river (Rio Tejo).
Lisbon has the largest and most developed mass media sector of Portugal, and is home to several related companies ranging from leading television networks and radio stations to major newspapers.
Rail and road links connect Lisbon to the rest of Portugal and elsewhere in Europe.
There are four commuter train lines departing from Lisbon. The main railway stations are Santa Apolónia, Rossio, Gare do Oriente and Cais do Sodré.
Lisbon is connected to its suburbs and the rest of Portugal by an extensive motorway network. There are three circular motorways around the city; the 2ª Circular, the CRIL and the CREL.
The Metro is Lisbon's main public transport artery, connecting the city centre with the upper and eastern districts, and now reaching the suburbs. Ambitious expansion projects will increase the network by almost one third, connecting the airport, and the northern and western districts.
A traditional form of public transport in Lisbon is the tram. Other than on the modern Line 15, the Lisbon tramway system still uses small (four wheel), yellow, 1930s vehicles well suited to the steep hills and narrow streets of the central city.
The greatest attractions are the funiculars, or inclined cable railways, of which there are three.
Two bridges cross the Tagus River, including the 1.5 mile (2.4km) 25th of April Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in western Europe, and the Vasco Da Gama Bridge, inaugurated on May 1998 is, at 10.7 miles (17.2km), the longest bridge in Europe, as well as a ferry service.
The Port of Lisbon is a large European Port highly ranked for the handling of containerised cargo and solid bulk agricultural foodstuffs. Alcântara has a container terminal and dock for cruise ships.
The Portela Airport is located within the city limits. TAP and Portugalia have their hubs here and the flights available are mostly to Europe, Africa and America.
Demographics
Lisbon city had a population of 564,477 in 2004[6] in 84.8 km² (33 sq mi), the Lisbon Metropolitan Area had around 2.64 million inhabitants, and 3.34 million people lived in the Lisbon Metropolitan Region, which includes the cities of Leiria and Setúbal).[7]
Native Portuguese are ethnically a combination of pre-Roman Celts with contributions from Romans, Germanic (Visigoths, Suebi), Jews, and Moors. Citizens of black African descent who immigrated to the mainland during decolonization number fewer than 100,000. Since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal.
Portuguese is the main official language, while Mirandese, also an official language, is locally used.
Portugal has no state religion. About 84 percent of the population belonged to the Roman Catholic Church in 2001, although only about 19 percent attended Mass. Other Christians make up 2.2 percent, other 0.3 percent, unknown 9 percent, none 3.9 percent.
There are three major public universities in Lisbon: the University of Lisbon, founded in 1911, the Technical University of Lisbon, founded in 1930, and the New University of Lisbon, founded in 1973). There is also one state-run university institute, the ISCTE, and a polytechnic institute, the Polytechnical Institute of Lisbon.
Private universities include the Portuguese Catholic University, the Lusíada University, the Universidade Lusófona, and the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, among others.
Culture
Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Baroque, Traditional Portuguese, Modern and Post-Modern constructions can be found all over the city. The city is also crossed by great boulevards, including the Avenida da Liberdade, and Avenida da República.
Museums include the National Museum of Ancient Art, the Museum of Portuguese-style Tile Mosaics, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, containing varied collections of ancient and modern art, the Lisbon Oceanarium, the National Museum of Costume and Fashion, the Berardo Collection Museum (modern art), and the National Coach Museum, containing the largest collection of royal coaches in the world).
Theatres include the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, the Centro Cultural de Belém, the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II and the Gulbenkian Foundation. A monument to Christ the King stands on the left side of the river.
The municipal holiday is June 13, St. Anthony's Day. There are five days street celebrations in memory of Lisbon-born saint Anthony, a wealthy Portuguese bohemian who was canonised after a life preaching to the poor.
Lisbon hosts the annual Lisbon Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the Lisbon International Documentary Film Festival, the Contemporary Art Fair, the International Organ Festival of Lisbon, the Lisbon Village Festival, the Street Magic World Festival, among others.
Football is the most popular sport in Lisbon. Major football clubs include S.L. Benfica, with its home 65,000 seat stadium the UEFA 5-Star Stadium Estádio da Luz . Sporting Clube de Portugal is the other major football team from the city, also having a UEFA 5-Star stadium, 52,000 seat Estádio José de Alvalade stadium. Belenenses is the third most important football team in the city, having Estádio do Restelo as its home stadium in the Belém neighbourhood of Lisbon.
Other sports, such as indoor football, handball, basketball and roller hockey are also popular. Every March the city hosts the Lisbon Half Marathon, one of the most attended events of its kind in the world.[citation needed]
Looking to the future
Does the city face no challenges or offer up anything else as a legacy?"
Does the city need reconstruction?
Is it a model city?
Will it run out of water?
Does it have a crucial role to play in the nation? Lisbon has both flourished and suffered. The city is famous for its maritime successes, was destroyed by earthquake, and rebuilt in visionary style to become a major European center of commerce.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ Ransoming Captives in Crusader Spain: The Order of Merced on the Christian-Islamic Frontier
- ↑ Between History and Periodicity: Printed and Hand-Written News in 18th-Century Portuga
- ↑ Pereira (2006), page 5.
- ↑ World Fact Book 2009[1] Retrieved February 6, 2009.
- ↑ Competitive Cities in the Global Economy
- ↑ UMA POPULAÇÃO QUE SE URBANIZA, Uma avaliação recente - Cidades, 2004 Nuno Pires Soares, Instituto Geográfico Português (Geographic Institute of Portugal)
- ↑ Fernando Nunes da Silva (2005), Alta Velocidade em Portugal, Desenvolvimento Regional, CENSUR, IST
Further reading
- Maxwell, Kenneth. 1995. The making of Portuguese democracy. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521460774
- Pinto, António Costa. 1998. Modern Portugal. Palo Alto, Calif: Society for the Promotion of Science and Scholarship. ISBN 9780930664176
- Wheeler, Douglas L. 1993. Historical dictionary of Portugal. (European historical dictionaries, no. 1.) Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810826960
External links
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Lisbon Retrieved February 6, 2009.
- World Fact Book 2009 Portugal Retrieved February 6, 2009.
- Visit Portugal Lisbon past and present Official government site, retrieved February 6, 2009.
- Portal das Nações Official site of Parque das Nações in Lisbon, retrieved February 6, 2009.
- Lisbon - a Small, Likeable and Distinctive Capital Retrieved February 7, 2009.
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
