Parque Das Nações, Lisbon Stock Photo

Expo '98 (in full, 1998 Lisbon World Exposition) was an official specialised World's Fair held in Lisbon, Portugal from May 22 to September 30, 1998. The theme of the fair was The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future, chosen in part to commemorate 500 years of Portuguese discoveries. The Expo received around 11 million visitors in 132 days. 155 countries and organizations were represented. Expo '98 closed its doors on September 30, 1998. The site remained closed until February 1999, when it reopened as Parque das Nações (Park of the Nations), a free-access park, keeping the gardens, Oceanarium (Europe's then largest aquarium), observation tower, funicular, and the Virtual Reality pavilion. The area today is thriving, modern, stylish, and safe, attracting 18 million tourists a year to its gardens, museums, commercial areas and modern buildings. It has also become permanent residency for up to 25,000 people and one of Lisbon's premier business centers, with many multinational corporations basing their headquarters in its main avenue.