PORTUGAL:

TERRITORY AND POPULATION

 Portugal, …
• Iberian Peninsula / Bordering
Spain
Spain is the only country bordering
Portugal. Both countries history is closely
intertwined.
• Atlantic or Mediterranean?
Orlando Ribeiro, a 20th century historian and
geographer, described the landscape as
«Mediterranean by nature and Atlantic by
location». Examples: climate and vegetation
• Europe
• Western / Southern Europe
• A peripheral country?
José Saramago (1986)The Stone Raft [A Jangada de Pedra]
 Portugal

• Continental Portugal is
516km long and 218km wide
• Territory includes two
archipelagoes in the Atlantic
Ocean: Azores and Madeira
• In total, Portugal occupies an
area of 92 090 km2
• Population: 10.344.802
(according to the Census 2021)
(IN COMPARISON TO EU 28)
 Territory: small, but diverse
mountains

hills

The landscape offers a mosaic of contrasting features,

packing a lot of unexpected variety into a small space plateaus

The physical environment created distinct

geographic regions that, in turn, have shaped the
culture of the people and their economy and society
In Portugal
before Portugal
The current Portuguese territory has been
continually fought over and settled since prehistoric
times:
• About 700 BC Celtic tribes entered from the north
• In 210 BC the Romans invaded the Peninsula and
conquered the south. In the central part remain a
Celtic tribe called the Lusitani that, led by Viriatus,
fought the Romans until 139 BC
• With the Roman Empire decline, in 409 the Suevi
invaded Portugal, followed by the Visigoths in 585.
• In 711 Moors from North Africa invaded the
Peninsula and quickly conquered southern
Portugal
One of the Oldest Nations
in Europe
• In 1139, Afonso Henriques declared the county
of Portucale a separate kingdom, with himself
as king. In 1143, the king of Leon-Castile
recognized Portugal as an independent
kingdom, as did Pope in 1179.
• Afonso set about reconquering territory from
the Moors. In 1139 he defeated them at Ourique.
In 1147 he captured Lisbon with the help of
English, Flemish, German, and French
crusaders.
• Évora was taken in 1166, and the Algarve in 1249.
At this point, the conquest was complete, and
Portugal became Europe's first state to reach
the limits of its territorial expansion, which
remain unchanged to this day.
Unity and diversity
• José Mattoso, a PT historian, states
that Portugal is not determined by a
distinct ethnic source, but is a political
/ administrative circumstance that
dates from its foundation.
• It gradually expanded into a nation
that was an aggregate of distinct
territories with very different ways of
life.
• From the 18th century onward,
Portugal displays a remarkable
cultural, linguistic and religious
homogeneity.
• In that way, the unit of Portugal as a
country and language contrasts with
its territorial diversity.
Portuguese “regions”?
• In some cases, regions of
Portugal seam much more
suitably matched with their
neighbouring Spanish provinces
than with other Portuguese ones
• Portugal only has two island
regions with politico-
administrative autonomy: the
archipelagos of Azores and
Madeira
• In the regionalisation
referendum (1998), voters
rejected the creation of self-
governing regions in mainland
 Administrative divisions
• Districts oversee
decentralized
administration services
empowered with
financial and
administrative
autonomy.
• However, they do not
have elected councils
• In the last decade,
territorial organization
has been debated and 5
regions have been set for
different purposes: North,
Centre, Lisbon and Tagus
Valley, Alentejo and
Algarve
Provinces (1936-1974) Districts (1976-present) Regions
North of Portugal
South of Portugal
 Traditional north / south divide:
land owning and wealth PIB per capita (NUTS II) 2021

• Land distribution in
the north is centered
on small plots since
Germanic tribes'
settlement
Traditional costumes from
Minho and Alentejo
• In the south, large Unemployment
estates (latifundios)
comprising up to
1,000 acres, often
owned by absentee
landlords, can be
traced to the roman
conquests
Traditional north / south divide:
political influence
Legislative Legislative Election 2019
Election
2015
Traditional north / south divide:
political influence Legislative
Election
2022

Vote strength by
municipality:
Chega

Vote strength by
municipality:
CDU (PCP + PEV) Vote strength by
municipality:
BE

Source: Expresso
 % of Catholics in Continental

North / south divide:

Portugal – NUTS III (Census 2021)

sway of catholic religion

Churches in Caminha and Algosinho

 Census: population with 15 and
more years old and Religion

Religion in Portugal
• Secularism played an important role in the I Republic,
with many anticlerical policies being implemented
• During Estado Novo, Church remained separate from
the State, but in a persistent and close collaboration
• The Constitution of 1976 provides for freedom of
religion and worship
• In 2021, most of the population (80%) identified itself
as catholic, though a much lower percentage is
practicing
• «Divisive issues such as abortion or same gender
marriage, though the object of conflicting views, are
not the source of societal rifts.» H. Machado-Jorge
 Climate

Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean with Continental
climate with influence
Atlantic Ocean
influence High Altitude climate

Mediterranean climate

Annual average temperature varies from 12-13°C in the

interior north to 17-18°C in the south. Summer months
easily reach over 30°C. Winter remains moderate and
mild with sunny days and temperatures around 15°C.
 Territorial uses

PORTUGAL

Urbanized
territories Forest
Agriculture Natural
Agriculture with vegetation
natural areas
 Vegetation Cork (cortiça) products account for
2,3% of Portuguese exports, earning
Oak tree every year c. 800 million €.
Chestnut
Main cork products: cork stoppers
(67%), floor and wall coverings (20%),
expanded agglomerated cork (7%)
Pinus
pinaster
Cork
oak

Eucalyptus

Holm oak

Annual production of cork

Olive tree [oliveira]
and grapevine [vinhas]

WINE REGIONS IN PORTUGAL

Main cities
(above 165 000 inhabitants: Census 2021)
Name, district Population

1 Lisbon, Lisbon 544 851

2 Sintra, Lisbon 385 954
3 Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto 304 149
4 Porto, Porto 231 962
5 Cascais, Lisbon 214 134
6 Loures, Lisbon 201 646
7 Braga, Braga 193 333
8 Almada, Setúbal 177 400
9 Matosinhos, Porto 172 669
10 Oeiras, Lisbon 171 802
11 Amadora, Lisbon 171 719
12 Seixal, Setúbal 166 255
Distribution of population

• The eastern districts bordering

Spain, with the exception of Faro,
have the lowest population density
• Coastal districts from the northern
border down to and including
Setúbal register the highest
concentrations of people
• Metropolitan areas of Lisbon and
Porto are densely populated
New divide: interior / coastal regions
rough cliffs
fine sand

• Portuguese coast
has
approximately
943 km along the
continental
Portugal
• The landscapes
alternate
between rough
cliffs and fine
sand beaches
 Portuguese Autonomous regions
• Portugal has two Autonomous Regions: the
archipelagos of Azores and Madeira
• An autonomous region of Portugal is defined as
having its own government and political and
administrative statutes.
• Autonomous regions were established in the 1976
Constitution due to their distinct geography,
economy, social and cultural situation
• Madeira was discovered by chance around 1419
and Azores islands were gradually occupied since
1420.
• Both archipelagos were not populated before the
Portuguese expansion.
 The archipelago of
Madeira
• Consists in Madeira island, Porto Santo,
Desertas (3 islands, one seasonally
inhabit) and Selvagens (2 desert islands
and several islets): 250 769 inhabitants
• Located in the north Atlantic Ocean,
southwest of Portugal, just under 400
kilometres north of Tenerife, Canary
Islands (Selvagens only 165 km far)
• Portugal claims that its Exclusive
Economic Zone is placed south of
Selvagens. Spain objects. The status of
Selvagens as islands or rocks is at the
core of the dispute, relating issues like
the administration of airspace and, most
importantly, fishing.
 Porto Santo Island ↓

Verdana 20
Funchal has 45% of Madeira’s population
Tourism is the biggest source of revenue
 Azores
• Azores is a group of 9 major islands located
about 1500km from Lisbon and 3900km from
the east coast of the United States
• Geographically, these volcanic origin islands
are formed of the tops of some of the tallest
mountains on Earth
• Azores are grouped into three geographic areas:
Western Group (Flores and Corvo), Central Group
(Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial) and
Eastern Group (São Miguel, Santa Maria and
Formigas Islets): 236 440 inhabitants in total
• Culture and traditions vary considerably between
islands, mostly because they were settled from
different regions from mainland Portugal over a
span of two centuries, but also because each island
has its own geomorphological characteristics
Capelinhos (Faial): last eruption in 1957-58 lasted
for 13 months, enlarging the land by 2,4km² Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira)

Horta’s Marina (Faial), one of

the most visited ports in the
world, with a view to Pico

Sete Cidades (São Miguel) Fajãs (São Jorge)

Regional products from Madeira and Azores
Task S4:
Portrait of Portugal
• Go to Pordata’s Portrait of Portugal 2020 at
https://www.pordata.pt/en/Portraits/2020/Portrait+of+Portugal-85
• Go through chapter 1. Population. Single out 2 aspects that you find most relevant or
interesting, and draw some conclusions, identifying key changes and tendencies that can
characterize the Portuguese Population.
• Choose an extra set of topics to analyse:

a) Living conditions and family income / Education d) Environment, energy and territory / Science and
b) Health / Social protection / Justice and security technology / Culture and sports / Electoral
c) Public accounts / Macroeconomics / Employment and participation
labour market / Enterprises e) Tourism / Transport / Agriculture and fishing

• Share your observations on moodle, Discussion Boards, forum «PHC: tasks and discussions»,
replying to S4 thread (don’t forget to identify everyone when doing it in a group)
• You may also try to establish some comparisons with your own country, or with the previous
session's OECD data findings.