OK, the US soccer, eh football, team plays Portugal and its star Renaldo Sunday. But really, other than that, what do most Americans know about this relatively tiny country that shares Iberia with Spain?

I think Americans knowledge of Portugal may be limited to:

...it is where the wine comes from in Adam Smith's explanation of comparative advantage
...it's where Victor Lazlo flew to when he left Casablanca with Ilsa
...it was one of the PIIGS in the Euro financial crisis
...it gave Brazil its native language

Vasco da Gama!

Among other things, I know that Portugal outpaced the rest of the colonial powers in the global colonization game.

They've given us some very good musicians and singers too.

(06-21-2014 10:55 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Vasco da Gama!

Vasco da Gama is the largest city in the Indian state of Goa. Those Portuguese really got around.

It is the largest producer of cork in the world.

(06-21-2014 08:59 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  OK, the US soccer, eh football, team plays Portugal and its star Renaldo Sunday. But really, other than that, what do most Americans know about this relatively tiny country that shares Iberia with Spain?

I think Americans knowledge of Portugal may be limited to:

...it is where the wine comes from in Adam Smith's explanation of comparative advantage
...it's where Victor Lazlo flew to when he left Casablanca with Ilsa
...it was one of the PIIGS in the Euro financial crisis
...it gave Brazil its native language

If more than 20% of Americans aged 18 and over know even one of these facts, I'd be shocked.

(06-21-2014 01:21 PM)flyingswoosh Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 08:59 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  OK, the US soccer, eh football, team plays Portugal and its star Renaldo Sunday. But really, other than that, what do most Americans know about this relatively tiny country that shares Iberia with Spain?

I think Americans knowledge of Portugal may be limited to:

...it is where the wine comes from in Adam Smith's explanation of comparative advantage
...it's where Victor Lazlo flew to when he left Casablanca with Ilsa
...it was one of the PIIGS in the Euro financial crisis
...it gave Brazil its native language

If more than 20% of Americans aged 18 and over know even one of these facts, I'd be shocked.

I would like to think that more than 20% at least know the last one. A fair amount SHOULD also know the second to last one.

I understand them not knowing the other two. I bet less than 20% in any age group know those two.

Albufeira - a Mediterranean resort/town on my bucket list to visit someday.

It's definitely a beautiful country. Lisbon was an awesome town.

(06-22-2014 06:40 PM)ClairtonPanther Wrote:  It's definitely a beautiful country. Lisbon was an awesome town.

Yup Lisbon is fantastic. Don't think I've ever been to a city with more beautiful girls. Talk about amazing genes

There's some pretty good examples of architecture in Portugal.

Mosteiro Santa Maria da Vitoria (Batalha)


Gare do Oriente (Lisbon Train Station)



Avenida Infante Santo (Lisbon)


Church of Bom Jesus de Monte (Braga)


Church of Santa Maria (Obidos)


Vodafone Porto Barbosa E Guimaraes Arquitectos (Porto)

(06-21-2014 01:21 PM)flyingswoosh Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 08:59 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  OK, the US soccer, eh football, team plays Portugal and its star Renaldo Sunday. But really, other than that, what do most Americans know about this relatively tiny country that shares Iberia with Spain?

I think Americans knowledge of Portugal may be limited to:

...it is where the wine comes from in Adam Smith's explanation of comparative advantage
...it's where Victor Lazlo flew to when he left Casablanca with Ilsa
...it was one of the PIIGS in the Euro financial crisis
...it gave Brazil its native language

If more than 20% of Americans aged 18 and over know even one of these facts, I'd be shocked.

I knew the second one but I have watched Casablanca probably 100 times or more.

(06-23-2014 08:25 AM)BucFyre Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 01:21 PM)flyingswoosh Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 08:59 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  OK, the US soccer, eh football, team plays Portugal and its star Renaldo Sunday. But really, other than that, what do most Americans know about this relatively tiny country that shares Iberia with Spain?

I think Americans knowledge of Portugal may be limited to:

...it is where the wine comes from in Adam Smith's explanation of comparative advantage
...it's where Victor Lazlo flew to when he left Casablanca with Ilsa
...it was one of the PIIGS in the Euro financial crisis
...it gave Brazil its native language

If more than 20% of Americans aged 18 and over know even one of these facts, I'd be shocked.

I knew the second one but I have watched Casablanca probably 100 times or more.

Wow. Then you'll like this. A few months ago at trivia, the final question was, "Name the movie that this famous line comes from, 'Round up the usual suspects.'"

I was the only one who got it.

(06-23-2014 09:26 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(06-23-2014 08:25 AM)BucFyre Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 01:21 PM)flyingswoosh Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 08:59 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  OK, the US soccer, eh football, team plays Portugal and its star Renaldo Sunday. But really, other than that, what do most Americans know about this relatively tiny country that shares Iberia with Spain?

I think Americans knowledge of Portugal may be limited to:

...it is where the wine comes from in Adam Smith's explanation of comparative advantage
...it's where Victor Lazlo flew to when he left Casablanca with Ilsa
...it was one of the PIIGS in the Euro financial crisis
...it gave Brazil its native language

If more than 20% of Americans aged 18 and over know even one of these facts, I'd be shocked.

I knew the second one but I have watched Casablanca probably 100 times or more.

Wow. Then you'll like this. A few months ago at trivia, the final question was, "Name the movie that this famous line comes from, 'Round up the usual suspects.'"

I was the only one who got it.

I dig all classic movies so if I were ever at a trivia night that had that category I'd own it.

Movies were considerably better 20+ years ago than they are today. Even more so if you go back 40+ Less reliance on special effects and pretty faces to draw a crowd.

(06-21-2014 01:21 PM)flyingswoosh Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 08:59 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  OK, the US soccer, eh football, team plays Portugal and its star Renaldo Sunday. But really, other than that, what do most Americans know about this relatively tiny country that shares Iberia with Spain?

I think Americans knowledge of Portugal may be limited to:

...it is where the wine comes from in Adam Smith's explanation of comparative advantage
...it's where Victor Lazlo flew to when he left Casablanca with Ilsa
...it was one of the PIIGS in the Euro financial crisis
...it gave Brazil its native language

If more than 20% of Americans aged 18 and over know even one of these facts, I'd be shocked.

That seems a little low to me. I bet at least half know one of these.

(06-23-2014 02:08 PM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 01:21 PM)flyingswoosh Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 08:59 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  OK, the US soccer, eh football, team plays Portugal and its star Renaldo Sunday. But really, other than that, what do most Americans know about this relatively tiny country that shares Iberia with Spain?

I think Americans knowledge of Portugal may be limited to:

...it is where the wine comes from in Adam Smith's explanation of comparative advantage
...it's where Victor Lazlo flew to when he left Casablanca with Ilsa
...it was one of the PIIGS in the Euro financial crisis
...it gave Brazil its native language

If more than 20% of Americans aged 18 and over know even one of these facts, I'd be shocked.

That seems a little low to me. I bet at least half know one of these.

I only knew one of those. Though of course I knew the capital is Lisbon. That's about it for me.

I know that Brazil was actually part of Portugal (not just a colony).

Their former royal family still lives on in Switzerland and Mexico.