The People

The population of Portugal is roughly 10 million. Out of this number, only a third live in a city. The rest live in the beautiful rural areas of this relatively undiscovered country. The rural population tend to congregate in small fishing or farm villages. The traditions of these small towns go back centuries. A visit to one of these towns is extremely interesting.

A visit to Portugal will reveal a people are easy going and very mild mannered. It is said that the politeness of the Portuguese is a reflection of their respect for others.

Despite their easy going mannerisms, formality rules when people are introduced. However once friendships are established, everything becomes much less formal, or even casual in nature. The Portuguese are a social group of people. It is very common to see them in groups eating, drinking or dancing. The family is very important in Portuguese culture. Despite the fact that some of the old customs are falling by the wayside, it is still fairly common to see a few generations of family still living together. Even when people move to another region of Portugal, they still tend to keep very close contact with relatives and friends back home.

Though the Portuguese are courteous, there are few things that may seem to show something different. Punctuality: This is something that does not seem to be high on the list of priorities for the Portuguese. Another notice lack of courtesy relates to driving. The Portuguese seem to have no rules when driving. These items are more cultural than anything else.

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