12 interesting facts about Lisbon (Lisboa)
- The main river basin of the Tagus Estuary in Lisbon stretches up to 14km across and is said to be large enough to contain all the warships in the world.
- Population: 520,000 (city); 2.8 million (metropolitan).
- Lisbon was practically destroyed on 1st November 1755 as a massive earthquake tipping the scales at 8.9 took the lives of 40,000 people and could be felt as far away as Scotland and Norway.
- Major Industries: Textiles, Footwear, Leather, Furniture, Ceramics and Cork.
- Lisbon is also known as "the town of seven hills" which are compromised of the seven hills: Castelo, Graca, Monte, Penha de Franca, S.Pedro de Alcantara, Santa Catarina and Estrela.
- Beneath Lisbon’s downtown area lies a carefully concealed Roman underworld, complete with bridges, corridors and chambers. This is open to the public for two days in a year.
- A very large statue of Cristo Rei (Christ the King) stands on the left bank of the river. This statue was erected to commemorate Portugal's survival of World War II without its direct involvement.
- Lisboa has a very big coffee culture. People go for a coffee and stay in the café for hours and hours.
- Then there is the different types and names for coffee: bica, pingado, garoto, galão, meia de leite, cortado, carioca, italiana, café duplo, café cheio, café curto, descafeinado, abatanado, clarinho... and more.
- But if you ask for a "café", they will bring what you know as an "expresso". Or what the lisboetas know as "bica".
- Ironically, The Alfama, which is the oldest section of Lisbon, was spared by the 1755 earthquake and is one of the places to really go if you want to see Lisbon full of history.
- Lisbon is home to the Stadium of Light, one of Europe's biggest and famous soccer venues in which the main sporting team Benfica play their home game at.
