A complicated territorial division and some border claims
Portugal can be divided into three main regions: the North, the Center and the South, all of which are subdivided into sub-regions. The North corresponds to everything north of the Mondego River, which is completely included in the country, and the South, which is south of the Tagus River. Between the two is defined the Center, which is rather vague. The Portuguese identify themselves more geographically by speaking of districts, of which there are 18: Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisbon, Portalegre, Porto, Santaém, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu. Sometimes a Portuguese person can explain, if he lives in Aveiro for example, that he is from the Center or the North, and in addition to that from the Coast. If he lived in Castelo Branco, he would say he was from the Interior.
Portugal has 1,215 kilometers of border with Spain. Called "Raya", it begins at the lower part of the Minho River, which separates the north of the country from Spanish Galicia, and ends north of the mouth of the Guadiana River. Despite its almost unchanged course since the Treaty of Alcacines in 1297, one area remains without an officially established border. This is the border between Caia and the deltas of the Ribeira de Cuncos in the center. Portugal does not recognize the border defined since the occupation and cessation to Spain in 1801 of Olivença. The country tried to recover the city during the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and during the Spanish Civil War that took place from 1936 to 1939. Without result. In the Atlantic, Spain claims the Wild Islands, administered from Madeira, but located closer to the Canary Islands (about 140 km). This archipelago was bought by Lisbon from a banker in 1971, although Madrid constantly claimed it. In 1997 Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar recognized the sovereignty to Portugal. However, Spanish military aircraft regularly fly over the skies of the Wild Islands without authorization, which has led Portugal to increase its presence there with the installation of a station of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere.
The mountain of the star, the roof of Portugal
In order to make the highest point of continental Portugal 2,000 meters high, the Portuguese had the good idea to build a small 7-meter turret on top of the 1,993-meter high Torre. It is located in the Serra da Estrela mountain range, which literally bears the beautiful name of "Star Mountain." It is located in the hinterland of central Portugal. To reach this summit and to walk in the natural park, 375 kilometers of trails are traced, with several levels of difficulty. Everyone will find the one that suits his level. We cross varied landscapes, alpine and wooded up to 1 000 meters of altitude before being deserted and stony. At the top, a majestic view of Portugal is revealed. The Mondego, the largest river flowing entirely in Portugal (234 kilometers), although little known, has its source in this mountain, near Gouveio, at 1,300 meters of altitude. It crosses Coimbra and Figueira da Foz. The Zêzere River also has its source in the Torre plateau. It crosses the land and irrigates it for 214 kilometers, passing through Manteigas, Belmonte, Covilha before joining the Tagus in Constância. How pleasant it is to rest on a river beach. Its strange name comes from a tree with small white flowers and black fruits that can be found on its banks, the zenzereiro.
From the Atlantic and the rivers
Choose a point on the map and you will see that whatever it is, the Atlantic Ocean is at most 220 kilometers away. This is of course due to its width and the openness to the Atlantic Ocean of its eastern and western facades. The coast of Ria de Aveiro, near Aveiro is a delta of 45 kilometers long and 11 kilometers wide. There are many fish and birds. Due to its specific characteristics, it is a place that allowed the production of salt. The Romans exported it from the 16th century as an important resource.
The coast of Estremadura, in the center, is rocky. The beaches, in continuity with the Beiras to the north, are cut by cliffs and small fishing ports. This geological phenomenon also prevails in the Algarve. The hike of the 7 valleys allows to walk along the steep coast facing the ocean and to admire a wild and preserved landscape. It starts in Carvoero and ends a little more than 5 kilometers further on in Praia da Marinha.
The three main rivers have their source in Spain. The Tagus (Tejo in Portuguese), 1,007 kilometers long, is born in Sierra de Albarracín and flows to the mouth of Lisbon. The Douro (897 kilometers from Picos de Urbión to Porto) is the only navigable river in its entirety. Cruising on the Douro through the vineyards is magical! The Guadiana (742 kilometers), which flows through the Alentejo and the Algarve, has its source in Ojos del Guadiana and flows into the Gulf of Cadiz.
The 100% Portuguese rivers Ave, Mondego (175 kilometers), Vouga (148 kilometers), Zêzere and Sado (175 kilometers) do not have a regular flow. In some places, floods of more than 20 meters have been recorded. This is why many dams help to regulate them. The most impressive are the dams of Regua, Carrapatelo, and Bemposta for the Douro, and the hydroelectric dam of Alqueva for the Guadiana.
