In Wikipedia the Portuguese language is described like this:
“Portuguese (português or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain) and northern Portugal from the Latin spoken by romanized Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula (namely the Gallaeci, the Lusitanians, the Celtici and the Conii) about 2000 years ago.” (Wikipedia)
This quite old language has travelled with the tradesmen in the 16th century around the globe and has also finished in Brazil, where today more people speak Portuguese than in the country of the origin of the language, in Portugal.
To pick up your first Portuguese phrases and to be able to say hello in Portuguese, the Pimsleur Portuguese audios are a great tool. You are sure to start off right, and if you have 30 minutes a day (i.e. during your commute) you will pick up the Portuguese language quickly and with the right pronunciation from start.