10 most difficult Portugal riddles

The convent was ruined in the 1755 Great Lisbon Earthquake, which destroyed the city, killed possibly 100.000 of its inhabitants and disrupted the colonial ambitions of Portugal. The church was left unrestored to remind the tragedy.

Even though king's nickname may suggest the era when Portuguese colonies were established, Sancho I actually ruled Portugal long before that - from 1185 to 1211. He populated remote areas of northern Portugal, notably with Flemish and Burgundian settlers - hence the nickname.

Madeira is a fortified wine made in the Portuguese Madeira Islands, off the coast of Africa. To prevent the wine from spoiling, neutral grape spirits were added. Today, Madeira is noted for its unique winemaking process which involves heating the wine.

The Pyrenean desman is a small nocturnal mammal related to moles and shrews, and is one of only two surviving species of the tribe Desmanini, along with the Russian desman. Its range centers on northwestern Spain and northern Portugal. Pyrenean desmans have long sensitive noses, and small front paws but large webbed back paws. They can close off their nostrils and ears with valves in order to stop water penetration, and use echolocation.

Portuguese is an official language in Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Macau, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Boa Vista is a desert-like island that belongs to the Cape Verde Islands. It is located the closest to the African continent, only 450 km from Senegal. The island is mainly known for the numerous presence of turtles, traditional music and ultramarathon.

Macau is a former Portuguese colony, and now an autonomous territory of China. With its world's largest gaming revenue since 2006, it is known as the pre-eminent gambling capital of the world. The Venetian Macao is the home of the largest casino in the world, and the whole resort is the largest single structure hotel building in Asia.

The Santa Justa Lift connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Carmo Square. Since its construction, the Lift has become a tourist attraction in Lisbon. Among the urban lifts in the city, Santa Justa is the only remaining vertical one.

In 1808, King Jan VI fled to Brazil before the Napoleonic invasion. John VI returned to Lisbon in 1821 to suppress the revolution directed against the monarchy.

The Rooster of Barcelos (Portuguese, "Galo de Barcelos") is one of the most common emblems of Portugal. The legend of the Rooster of Barcelos tells the story of a dead rooster's miraculous intervention in proving the innocence of a man who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death.