Portugal

Melancholic and cheerful, rebellious and gentle, proud and hospitable – with much sympathy, European neighbors view the Portuguese, who seemingly combine the incompatible. Over the past few decades, Portugal has transformed at a breathtaking pace from an isolated and underdeveloped agrarian society into a modern European state. Simon Kamm describes how the rich history of one of the oldest nation-states in Europe shapes the present consciousness of the Portuguese, how the close bond with the sea influences the land and its people, why improvisation (desenrascanço) is almost an art form in Portugal, and how the years of crisis have shaped and changed the country and the generation of young Portuguese.