Alentejo
The Alentejo (Portuguese for the other side of the Tagus, IPA / ɐ.lẽ. ' tɛ.ʒu / ) is a region in Portugal. It includes the districts of Portalegre, Évora and Beja and the southern parts of the districts Setúbal and Santarém.
Neighboring regions are Centro Region in the north, Região de Lisboa in the west and the Algarve in the south. To the east of Alentejo bordered by Spain to the west lies the Atlantic Ocean.
The area of the Alentejo comprises 26,931 km ² with 30.16 % of the Portuguese mainland. The region has a population of 521 240 (as of 2010, 5.09 % of mainland Portugal).
The region is divided into five statistical regions:
- Alentejo Central
- Alentejo Litoral
- Alto Alentejo
- Baixo Alentejo
- Lezíria do Tejo
The Alentejo has 58 counties ( concelhos ).
Largest communities
( 2001 census )
Economy
Expressed in comparison with the EU GDP in purchasing power standards the Alentejo region reached an index of 66.4 (EU -25: 100 ) (2003 ). This makes it one of the poorest regions of Western Europe, the economic structure is characterized mainly by agriculture. In the 1950s to the 1980s, many young men emigrated from the region to Lisbon from or went as migrant workers abroad (eg France or the Federal Republic of Germany ).
The main growing area of cork oak in Portugal is largely in the Alentejo region, further also in the neighboring region of Algarve.
Film
- Montados - Portugal's forests. (OT: Natural World. Creatures of the Cork Forest ) Documentary, UK, 2011, 46:30 min, Director: Tim Martin, Production: BBC Earth, German First broadcast: December 1, 2011 arte, Summary of SRF, online video from BBC.
Attractions
- Anta do Tapadão
- Megaliths in the district of Évora
- Monte da Ponte