Lisbon

The council of Lisbon has a total of 663,394 inhabitants (date collected in the census of 1991).

21,7% of these inhabitants are young with ages less than 19 years old.

59,5% are adults with ages between 20 years old and 64 years old.

18,7% of the inhabitants are elderlies with more than 65 years old.

Lisbon comprises 53 parishes which have a total area of 84 km².

The foundation of Lisbon must be ascribed to the Phoenician, however in 205 B.C. it was ocupated by the Romans. From the 5^th to the 8^th century, Lisbon was invaded by Northern Barbarians: plundered in 419 by the Goths, and then occupied by the Visigoths, Goths and Sueves.In 851 the city was plundered by the King of “Lion”. In 1147. D. Afonso Henriques conquered it, its name became Olissibona or Lissibona and it was King D. Afonso III that made it the capital of Portugal.

            The discoveries and navigations transformed the city into a commercial empire.

            The oldest document in which Lisbon’s name appears is a coin from the reign of king D. Fernando. The word had the following etymological evolution:

Olisiponem>Olisipona>Lisbona>Lisbôa>Lisboa.

            There are several hypotheses for the origin of Lisbon’s name derives from the name of its founder-“Elisa” and the word comes from “Ulisses”, who might have been the founder of several towns; it is more than likely that this is the true origin of the word. And it comes from the Phoenician “Avis Ubba”, which means “Pleasant bay”.

            In the year of 1755 Lisbon suffered an enormous earthquake, everything occurred  on November 1^st , by 9.30 am. After the earthquake was over the fires started, that made it impossible breathe.

            Around 11.00 am. there was a new tremor and there were other tremors throughout the day.

            The earthquake was so violent in Lisbon that its consequences in other areas of the country were almost forgotten. The Lisbon surrounding area was particularly hit.

            The earthquake’s consequences were slight in the centre and north of the country.

            The population was terrified and so there were many news published in the newspaper Gazeta de Lisboa that overexagerated the situation.