The Compass: Portugal ~ Historian Fact

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The Compass: Portugal

October 17, 2020 No comments

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Portugal

At mainland Europe’s western edge lies one of its lesser-known gems—a land of wild coasts, terraced vineyards, and historic cities whose cobbled streets tell a multitude of stories. In this week’s edition, we discover why tectonic activity off the coast of Portugal could shrink the Atlantic Ocean, learn about a legendary wine that made one Portuguese island famous, and see how volcanic waters in the Azores turn green tea purple.
Let’s explore Portugal.

SCIENCE

A firefighter tries to extinguish a wildfire in the village of Casais de Sao Bento in Macao in central Portugal.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

How to live with mega-fires? Portugal’s feral forests may hold the secret

The world's forests are getting drier and people are living closer to them, ushering in a dangerous new era—unless we can find a way to coexist with the flames.

These skeletons of ancient hunter-gatherers—which happen to be brothers—helped researchers discover a surprisingly complex genetic picture of the Iberian Peninsula, which is comprised of Spain and Portugal.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JULIO MANUEL VIDAL ENCINAS

Surprising DNA found in ancient people from southern Europe

A study of 8,000 years of genetics from Spain and Portugal yields a surprisingly complex picture of the inhabitants' ancestry.

An oceanic plate dives beneath another in an illustration of a subduction zone. Studies of tectonic activity off the coast of Portugal may reveal a new subduction zone being born.

ILLUSTRATION BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, ART: TOMÁŠ MÜLLER, GRAPHIC EDITORS: MANUEL CANALES, MATTHEW CHWASTYK, RESEARCH: RYAN WILLIAMS

A tectonic plate may have peeled apart—and that could shrink the Atlantic Ocean

Something strange is happening off the coast of Portugal, and scientists have now proposed a groundbreaking explanation.

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NEW WORLD, OLD INSTINCTS. Created in 1502, the “Cantino Planisphere” presented new data on the New World while still incorporating key traits of the medieval worldview. Jerusalem appears at the very center of the world. Legendary sites, such as the Christian African kingdom ruled by Prester John or the Mountains of the Moon, are depicted alongside confirmed locations.

ORONOZ/ALBUM

A spy, a map, and the quest for power in 16th-century Europe

In 1502, as Europeans hungrily looked to the vast new continent across the Atlantic Ocean, innovative maps of these unfamiliar territories became objects of power and intrigue. Alberto Cantino, an Italian spy, acquired a Portuguese map showing stunning finds in the New World.

TRAVEL

DREAM NOW, GO LATER

On Madeira’s eastern tip, the arid, wind-battered basalt Ponta de São Lourenço juts into the Atlantic. The island’s dramatic, diverse terrain gives rise to a rich, complex wine with a storied history.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUKAS BABALIS, 500PX/GETTY IMAGES

Try the coveted wine that made this Portuguese island famous

Madeira is renowned for its landscapes, lore—and its legendary wine, which graced the tables of America’s Founding Fathers.

Bubbling hot springs and fumaroles fill Furnas Valley, on the Azorean capital of São Miguel Island.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL NOLAN, ROBERT HARDING/NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Drink volcanic purple tea in the Azores

São Miguel Island is home to mineral-rich hot springs that turn green tea purple, among other weird wonders.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAURICIO ABREU, AURORA

Discover Europe's far-flung island paradise

Portugal’s sun splashed Azores Islands are a trailblazer in sustainable tourism.

In the Azorean town of Angra do Heroísmo, a lone man looks out over the quiet marina on March 22, 2020, after a coronavirus-related ban on recreational boating.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GENNA MARTIN

Locked down on the island my ancestors once fled

The coronavirus creates a surreal stay in the Azores for a photojournalist and aspiring round-the-world traveler.

TRAVEL GUIDE

Discover the best of Lisbon

WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT?

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