The Main Differences Between Portugal and Spain
The Iberian peninsula is seen as a gateway to Europe. However, for many years we claimed to be the tail of it. And this was so often the mentality that, angry at this European rejection, we wanted to turn to the other side, to the Atlantic Ocean, and sail across it.
But it should be noted that in this still large piece of land, there are two countries that are as similar as they are different. And I, like any Portuguese, have often had to hear a “gracias” instead of an “obrigado”— our word for thanks— as well as hearing a lot of ignorance coming from the mouths of people who mistakenly either ignore Portugal’s existence or think that Portugal was part of Spain and that by some chance it later split up. ( If only I could earn a cent every time I hear that… )
I’ve already said here that Portugal is older than Spain and the country with the oldest borders on the European continent. A fact that sometimes shocks many.
Our history does not fit in a short essay, neither ours nor that of our “hermanos,” nor the whole culture. However, I’ll try to inform my readers of the differences that separate us.
Here are those that stand out the most:
