About Portugal

The map shows Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa), a sovereign state in southwestern Europe. It comprises the continental part of Portugal on the western coast of the Iberian peninsula and the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. The most western European state is only bordered by one other country, Spain. Additionally, Portugal shares a maritime border with Morocco.

With an area of 92,090 km², compared, Portugal is slightly smaller than Hungary (93,028 km²), or the U.S. state of Indiana.

Portugal has a population of 10.3 million people (in 2019); the capital and largest city is Lisbon, with about 500,000 inhabitants.

The official language is Portuguese.

More about Portugal


Portugal's Main Geographical Regions

Mountains
The cooler and rainier northern part of the country to the north of the city of Castelo Branco is, apart from the coastal areas, mostly mountainous with elevations up to almost 2000 m in the Serra da Estrela. Torre, a peak within the mountain range at 1,993 m (6,539 ft), is the highest point in Mainland Portugal.

The southern part of the country, which extends as far as the Algarve, consists mostly of rolling plains and has a climate somewhat warmer and drier than in the north.

Rivers:
Portugal's main rivers are the Douro river with its tributary, the Tamega river. The Rio Minho, which forms part of the Spanish/Portuguese border in the northwest. Rio Mondego is the longest river that flows exclusively in Portuguese territory, and the Tagus (Rio Tejo), the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula.


Coastal areas:
Algarve
The southernmost province of Portugal, on the Atlantic coast with its capital, Faro is a major tourist destination in Europe.

Costa Vicentina
The Southwestern Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Nature Park in Alentejo and Algarve's regions in southern Portugal features an outstanding coastal scenery with cliffs and beaches.

Islands:
The island of Madeira is located in the Atlantic Ocean, 520 km off the northwest African coast. The group of islands constitutes an autonomous region of Portugal. 290,000 people live on the Madeira (est. 2019). The capital city is Funchal. The island is a popular year-round destination, visited by about one million people every year, contributing 20% of the region's GDP.

Azores - Ilhas dos Açores
The Azores are a group of nine volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, located about 1,500 km west of Portugal, 255,000 people (est. 2019) people live on the islands. The archipelago is in Portuguese possession but partially autonomous. The largest city and the capital is Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel.