Beira Litoral Province

The Beira Litoral (English about: coastal border area) was from 1936 to 1976 one of the eleven provinces of Portugal. They exist today only in the vernacular, or historically based terms.

Coimbra was the capital of the province, which included the greater part of the present-day districts of Coimbra and Aveiro, to about half of today's circuits ( Concelhos ) in the district of Leiria ( Alvaiázere, Ansiao, Batalha, Castanheira de Pera, Figueiró dos Vinhos, Leiria, Pedrógão Grande and Pombal ), and a circle in the district of Santarém ( Ourém ). She formed the eastern provinces bordering Beira Alta and Beira Baixa often to this day called Beiras region. In the west, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, the other neighboring provinces Douro Litoral in the north, in the south Ribatejo, Estremadura and were in the southeast.

In contrast to the coastal region of Beira Litoral ( dt: Coastal Beira ), are still the Beira Alta and Beira Baixa together as Beira Interior (German: Inner Beira ) denotes the true affected as structurally weak and strong rural exodus, in Unlike the Beira Litoral, where da Foz most of the economically important cities of central Portugal are with Coimbra, Aveiro, Leiria and Figueira.

The term Beira (English about: rim area, border area or bank) goes back to the time of the Reconquista, as contested border area here for dominion of the Moors was. In contrast to the secluded country strokes of Beira Interior, where could hold much originality in nature, buildings and customs, the Beira Litoral of living diversity and more advanced stage of development is characterized, centrally located between the two main cities of the country ( Lisbon and Porto ). So is about Coimbra with one of the spiritual and cultural centers in the Beira Litoral Portugal, as well as a number of nationally known seaside resorts, such as Figueira da Foz or Espinho.