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| Geography of Portugal | |
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| Continent | Europe |
| Region | Southern Europe Iberian Peninsula |
| Coordinates | 38°43'N 8°5'W |
| Area | Ranked 110th 92,391 km² (35,672.4 sq mi) 99.52% land 0.48 % water |
| Borders | Total land borders: Spain (1214 km) |
| Highest point | Mount Pico 2351 m |
| Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean 0 m (0 ft) (sea level) |
| Longest river | Tagus (275 km in Portugal proper), 47 km as border with Spain) |
Portugal is a coastal nation in southwestern Europe. Its mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula and borders only one nation — Spain, to the east and north — with a total of 1,214km of borders. Despite this total of km for the border with Spain, Portugal does not recognise the border from the delta of the River Caia to the delta of the River Cuncos since 1801's occupation of the Olivença territory by the Spanish Kingdom. This territory, though under Spanish occupation remains part of Portugal and no border is henceforth recognised in this area. It is bordered on the west with a 1,793km coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean. Portugal also controls the Atlantic islands of Azores and Madeira Islands, which are strategic locations along western sea approaches to the Strait of Gibraltar between the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. In total, the country has an area of 92,391 km² of which 91,951 km² is land and 440 km² water.
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)
Natural hazards: Azores subject to severe earthquakes, as also is the continental coast. Wild fires and extreme weather are also common.
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The continent
Continental Portugal is split in two by its main river, the Tagus (Tejo). To the north the landscape is mountainous in the interior areas with plateaus, cut by four breakings lines that allow the development of more fertile agricultural areas.
The south down as far as the Algarve features mostly rolling plains with a climate somewhat warmer and drier than the cooler and rainier north. Other major rivers include the Douro, the Minho and the Guadiana, similar to the Tagus in that all originate in Spain. Another important river, the Mondego, originates in the Serra da Estrela (the highest mountains in mainland Portugal - 1,993 m).
The Islands
The islands of the Azores and Madeira are located in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, some of the islands had recent volcanic activity. Originally two islands, São Miguel Island was joined by a volcanic eruption in 1563. The last volcano to erupt was the Vulcão dos Capelinhos (Capelinhos Volcano) in 1957, in western part of Faial Island, increasing the size of that island. Dom João de Castro Bank is a large submarine volcano that lies midway between the islands of Terceira and São Miguel and rises 14 m below the sea surface. It last erupted in 1720 and formed an island of 1.5 km in length and 250 metres in altitude, it remained above the water for several years. Scientists predict a new island can be formed in a not so distant future. Portugal's highest point is Mount Pico, an ancient volcano, with 2,351 metres.
The Coast
The Portuguese coast is extensive, it has 943 km in continental Portugal, 667 km in the Azores, 250 km in Madeira and in the Savage Islands. The Portuguese coast developed fine beaches, the Algarve ones are worldwide famous. In Porto Santo Island, a dune formation is appealing to many tourists. An important feature in its coast is the Ria de Aveiro (near Aveiro, a town called "The Portuguese Venice"), a delta with 45 km in length and a maximum of 11 km width, rich in fish and sea birds. There are four main channels, between them several islands and islets, and it is where Vouga, Antuã, Boco, and Fontão rivers meet the ocean. Since the 16th century, the formation of a sort of narrow headlands formed a lagoon, seen as one of the most remarkable hydrographic features of the Portuguese coast. Due to these characteristics, the region is an ancient producer of a famous salt, and during the Roman Empire it exported its salt to Rome, seen as a precious product. Another interesting feature of the Portuguese coast is Ria Formosa, with some sandy islands and a very good climate all the year- summers are not very hot and winters are generally mild.
Exclusive Economic Zone
Portugal has the 3rd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of the EU and the 11th in the world.
Lakes and Climate
No large natural lakes exist in Continental Portugal, where the largest inland water surfaces are dam-originated reservoirs, (such as the Alqueva reservoir with 250 km2, the largest in Europe). However, there are several lagoons in Portugal with a river as origin:
- in Serra da Estrela, the Comprida Lagoon (Lagoa Comprida) and the Escura Lagoon (Lagoa Escura) were formed from ancient glaciers.
- the Pateira de Fermentelos is a small natural lagoon near Aveiro
Some lagoons are near the Atlantic Ocean. For instance, the Albufeira Lagoon (in the Setúbal Peninsula) and Óbidos Lagoon (near Foz do Arelho, Óbidos). In the Azores archipelago lagoons were formed in extinct volcanos. Lagoa do Fogo and Lagoa das Sete Cidades (two small lakes connected by a narrow passage) are the most famous lakes in São Miguel Island.
The climate can be classified as Mediterranean type csa in the south and csb in the north, according to the Köppen climate classification. Portugal is one of the warmest European countries, the annual temperature averages in mainland Portugal are 13 °C (55 °F) in the north and 18 °C (64 °F) in the south and it´s over 20 ºc (68ºF) on the warmest spots, like south coast of Madeira island. The Madeira and Azores Atlantic archipelagos have a narrower temperature range. Extreme temperatures occur in the mountains of the Northeastern parts of the country in winter (where they may fall to -15 °C) and Southeastern parts in summer. Sea coastal areas are milder. Absolute extremes registered so far have been -23 °C ( missing reference) in Serra da Estrela and 48 °C in the Alentejo region. There are registered values of 50,5 for Riodades (http://www.dandantheweatherman.com/wortrivaug.html). It´s very plausible that these values can be registered on the Guadiana, Douro and Tagus ( Tejo) warmest valleys.
Environment
Environment - current issues: soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban
Terrain: mountainous and hilly north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m
Natural resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable land, hydroelectric power
Land use:
arable land: 26%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 36%
other: 20% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 6,300 km² (1993 est.)
Tourism
Where to go: The Algarve is the main tourist destination promising sunny days, beaches, long nights and stunning natural beauty. Other popular destinations include Lisbon and Porto, with historical towns such as Conímbriga and Tomar being well worth visiting. Also, do not forget to visit the towns of Marvão and Castelo de Vide, close to the city of Portalegre (known for cork, wine and tapestry) in the Parque Natural de São Mamede in the region of Alto Alentejo, and about 250 km east of Lisbon. Marvão is a walled medieval town on top of an imponent granitic hill allowing beautiful 360 degress over lands of both Portugal and Spain. The surrounding vegetation is mostly chestnuts, oaks and cork trees (from which the bark is removed every 9 years). From Marvão one can see Castelo de Vide, which is another medieval town, larger than Marvão. This whole region actually presents itself with a myriad of historical artifacts from dolmens and pre-historical burial sites, to roman ruins, medieval castles, mourish influences and many other interesting pieces of a long human history in this region. Madeira and Azores islands do have volcanoes, subtropical rainforests considered World Heritage places, good diving and fishing places with clean and warm waters, varied climates and landscapes, tropical fruits and big mountains.
See also
Sources and further reading
- Visible Earth. NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. [1]. A collection of satellite images of Portugal and the surrounding region.
- "Portugal." CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. [2].
- Symington, Martin. Portugal (Eyewitness Travel Guide series). Dorling Kindersley Publishing: 2003. ISBN 0-7894-9423-X.
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