Lisbon
Lisbon (/ˈlɪzbən/; Portuguese: Lisboa [liʒˈβoɐ] ⓘ)[3] is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 548,703 as of 2022 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2.[4] Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city (second overall after Reykjavik) and the only one along the Atlantic coast, the others (Reykjavik and Dublin) being on islands. The city lies in the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula, on the northern shore of the River Tagus. The western portion of its metro area, the Portuguese Riviera, hosts the westernmost point of Continental Europe, culminating at Cabo da Roca.
This article is about the Governmental capital city. For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation).
Lisbon
Lisboa
c. 1200 BCE
c. 138 BCE
711 CE
1147 CE
1256 CE
(see text)
Rosário Farmhouse
100.05 km2 (38.63 sq mi)
3,015.24 km2 (1,164.19 sq mi)
2 m (7 ft)
548,703[1]
5,445.7/km2 (14,104/sq mi)
2,899,670[2]
Lisboan
Lisboeta
Olissiponense
Alfacinha (colloquial)
(+351) 21 XXX XXXX
Praça do Município, 1
1149-014 Lisboa
13 June (St. Anthony's Day)
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world[5] and the second-oldest European capital city (after Athens), predating other modern European capitals by centuries.[6] Established by pre-Celtic tribes and later Phoenicians, Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia,[7] adding the term to the name Olissipo. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century, most notably the Visigoths. Later it was captured by the Moors in the 8th century. In 1147 Afonso Henriques conquered the city and in 1255 it became Portugal's capital, replacing Coimbra.[8] It has since been the political, economic, and cultural centre of the country.
It has been since the political centre of the country, as its seat of government, National Assembly, Supreme Court of Justice, Armed Forces and residence of the head of state. It is also the centre of Portuguese diplomacy, with ambassadors from 86 countries residing in the city, as well as representations from Taiwan and Palestine.[9] About 2.9 million people live in the Lisbon metropolitan area, which extends beyond the city's administrative area, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the Iberian Peninsula (after Madrid and Barcelona) as well as figuring amongst the 10 most populous urban areas in the European Union.[10][11] It represents approximately 27.70% of the country's population.
Lisbon is recognised as an alpha-level global city because of its importance in finance, commerce, fashion, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education, and tourism.[12][13] Lisbon is amongst the two Portuguese cities (the other being Porto) to be recognised as a global city, and it is also home to three companies in the Global 2000 (EDP Group, Galp Energia and Jerónimo Martins).[14][15][16] Lisbon is one of the major economic centres in Europe, with a growing financial sector, with PSI-20 being part of Euronext, the largest center for debt and funds listings in the world. The Lisbon region has a higher GDP PPP per capita than any other region in Portugal. Its GDP PPP amounts to US$179 billion and thus $61,713 per capita.[17][18][19][20] The city occupies the 40th place of highest gross earnings in the world and, with almost 21,000 millionaires, is the 11th European city by number of millionaires and the 14th by number of billionaires.[21][22] Most of the headquarters of multinational corporations in Portugal are located in the Lisbon area.[23]
Etymology[edit]
Lisbon's name may have been derived from Proto-Celtic or Celtic Olisippo, Lissoppo, or a similar name which other visiting peoples like the ancient Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans adapted accordingly, such as the pre-Roman appellation for the Tagus River, Lisso or Lucio. Classical authors writing in Latin and Greek, including Strabo, Solinus, and Martianus Capella,[24][25] referred to popular legends that the city of Lisbon was founded by the mythical hero Ulysses (Odysseus).[26][27] Lisbon's name was written Ulyssippo in Latin by the geographer Pomponius Mela, a native of Hispania. It was later referred to as "Olisippo" by Pliny the Elder and by the Greeks as Olissipo (Ὀλισσιπών) or Olissipona (Ὀλισσιπόνα).[28][29]
Another claim repeated in literature is that the name of Lisbon could be traced back to Phoenician times, referring to a supposed Phoenician term Alis-Ubbo, meaning "safe harbour" or "pleasant haven".[30][31][32] Although modern archaeological excavations show a Phoenician presence at this location since 1200 BC,[33] this folk etymology "is never attested in ancient classical literature".[34]
Lisbon's name is commonly abbreviated as "LX" or "Lx", originating in an antiquated spelling of Lisbon as Lixbõa.[35] While the old spelling has since been completely dropped from usage and goes against modern language standards, the abbreviation is still commonly used.