![Official political map of Portugal of 2024, released by the Portuguese government in 2025.[1]](/image.pl?url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2fthumb%2f5%2f5f%2fOfficial_political_map_of_Portugal_of_2024.pdf%2fpage1-236px-Official_political_map_of_Portugal_of_2024.pdf.jpg&f=jpg&w=240) | |
| Continent | Europe |
|---|---|
| Region | Southern Europe North Africa Iberian Peninsula Macaronesia |
| Coordinates | 39°22′13.65″N8°8′25.13″W / 39.3704583°N 8.1403139°W /39.3704583; -8.1403139 |
| Area | Ranked 109th |
| • Total | 92,391 km2 (35,672 sq mi) |
| • Land | 9% |
| • Water | .45% |
| Coastline | 1,794 km (1,115 mi) |
| Borders | Total land borders:Portugal-Spain border (1214 km) |
| Highest point | Mount Pico (Azores) 2,351 m (7,713 ft) Torre (Iberian Peninsula) 1,993 m (6,539 ft) |
| Lowest point | Sea level (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Longest river | Tagus (275 km within Portugal) |
| Largest lake | Lake Alqueva |
| Exclusive economic zone | 1,727,408 km2 (666,956 sq mi) |
Portugal is a coastal nation in westernEurope, located at the western end of theIberian Peninsula, borderingSpain (on its northern and eastern frontiers: a total of 1,215 kilometres (755 mi)). The Portuguese territory also includes a series of archipelagos in theAtlantic Ocean (theAzores andMadeira), which are strategic islands along theNorth Atlantic. The extreme south is not too far from theStrait of Gibraltar, leading to theMediterranean Sea. In total, the country occupies an area of 92,090 square kilometres (35,560 sq mi) of which 91,470 square kilometres (35,320 sq mi) is land and 620 square kilometres (240 sq mi) water.[2]
Despite these definitions, thePortugal-Spain border remains an unresolved territorial dispute between the two countries. Portugal does not recognise the border betweenCaia andRibeira de Cuncos River deltas, since the beginning of the 1801 occupation ofOlivenza by Spain. This territory, though underde facto Spanish occupation, remains ade jure part of Portugal, consequently no border is henceforth recognised in this area.[3]
Portugal is located on the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula and plateau, that divides the inlandMediterranean Sea from theAtlantic Ocean. It is located on the Atlantic coast of this plateau and crossed by several rivers which have their origin in Spain. Most of these rivers flow from east to west disgorging in the Atlantic; from north to south, the primary rivers are theMinho,Douro,Mondego,Tagus and theGuadiana.[4]
The Portuguese continental shelf has an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi), although its width is variable from 150 kilometres (93 mi) in the north to 25 kilometres (16 mi) in the south.[4] Its strong relief is marked by deep submarine canyons and the continuation of the main rivers. The Estremadura Spur separates the Iberian Abyssal and Tagus Abyssal Plains, while the continental slope is flanked by sea-mounts and abuts against the prominent Gorringe Bank in the south.[4] Currently, the Portuguese government claims jurisdiction to a sea depth of 200 metres (660 ft), or to the depth of exploitation.
The Portuguese coast is extensive; in addition to approximately 943 kilometres (586 mi) along the coast ofcontinental Portugal, the archipelagos of the Azores (667 km) and Madeira (250 km) are primarily surrounded by rough cliff coastlines. Most of these landscapes alternate between rough cliffs and fine sand beaches; the region of theAlgarve is recognized for its sandy beaches popular with tourists, while at the same time its coastline aroundCape St. Vincent is well known for steep and forbidding cliffs. An interesting feature of the Portuguese coast is theRia Formosa with some sandy islands and a mild and pleasant climate characterized by warm, but not very hot, summers and generally mild winters.
In contrast, theRia de Aveiro coast (nearAveiro, referred to as"The Portuguese Venice") is formed by adelta approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) long with a maximum width of 11 kilometres (6.8 mi), rich in fish and seabirds. Four main channels flow through several islands andislets at the mouth of theVouga,Antuã,Boco, and Fontão Rivers. Since the 16th century, this formation of narrow headlands formed a lagoon, which allowed the formation and production ofsalt. It was also recognized by the Romans, whose forces exported its salt—then a precious resource—to Rome.
The Azores are sprinkled with both black-sand and boulder-lined beaches; only as a rare exception are there white-sand beaches (such as on the island ofSanta Maria inAlmagreira). The island ofPorto Santo has one of the few extensive dune beaches in Portugal, located in the archipelago of Madeira.
Tidal gauges along the Portuguese coast have identified a 1–1.5 millimetres (0.039–0.059 in) rise in sea levels, causing large estuaries and inland deltas in some major rivers to overflow.[4]
As a result of its maritime possessions and long coastline, Portugal has anExclusive Economic Zone of 1,727,408 km2 (666,956 sq mi). This is the third largest EEZ of all countries in theEuropean Union and the 20th in the world. This sea-zone, over which Portugal exercises special territorial rights over the economic exploration and use of marine resources, encircles an area of 1,727,408 square kilometres (666,956 sq mi) (divided as:Continental Portugal 327,667 km2,Azores Islands 953,633 km2,Madeira Islands 446,108 km2).
The Portuguese territory came into existence during the history ofGondwana and became aligned withEuropean landforms after the super-continentPangea began its slow separation into several smaller plates. TheIberian plate was formed during theCadomian Orogeny of the late Neoproterozoic (about 650-550 Ma), from the margins of theGondwana continent. Through collisions andaccretion a group ofisland arcs (that included the Central Iberian Plate, Ossa-Morena Plate, South Portuguese Plate) began to disintegrate from Gondwana (along with other European fragments). These plates never separated substantially from each other since this period.[5] By theMesozoic, the three"Portuguese plates" were a part of the Northern FranceArmoric Plate until theBay of Biscay began to separate. Following the separation of theIberian Abyssal Plain,Iberia andEurope began to drift progressively fromNorth America, as the Mid-Atlantic fracture zone pulled the three plates away from the larger continent. Eventually, Iberia collided with southern France attaching the region into apeninsula of Europe (during theCenozoic). Since the lateOligocene, the Iberian plate has been moving as part of the Eurasian plate, with the boundary between Eurasia and Africa situated along theAzores–Gibraltar fracture zone.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][6][14]
The Iberian peninsula, defined by its coastline, is due to a fragment of theVariscan tectonic fracture zone, theIberian-Hesperian Massif, which occupies the west-central part of the plateau.[4] This formation is crossed by theCentral System, along an east-northeast to west-southwest alignment, parallel to the EuropeanBaetic Chain (an aspect of theAlpine Chain).[4] The Central Cordillera is itself divided into two blocks, while three main river systems drain the differing geomorphological terrains:[4]
To the north the landscape is mountainous in the interior areas with plateaus, cut by four breakings lines that allow the development of more fertile agricultural areas.
The south down as far as theAlgarve features mostly rolling plains with a climate somewhat warmer and drier than the cooler and rainier north. Other major rivers include theDouro, theMinho and theGuadiana, similar to the Tagus in that all originate in Spain. Another important river, theMondego, originates in theSerra da Estrela (the highest mountains in mainland Portugal at 1,993 m). A full list of rivers is available inList of rivers of Portugal.
No large naturallakes exist in Continental Portugal, and the largest inland water surfaces are dam-originatedreservoirs, such as theAlqueva Reservoir, which is the largest artificial lake in Europe, with 83 kilometers in length and 250 square kilometres in area.[15] However, there are several small freshwaterlakes in Portugal, the most notable of which are located inSerra da Estrela, Lake Comprida (Lagoa Comprida) and Lake Escura (Lagoa Escura), which were formed from ancientglaciers. Pateira de Fermentelos is a small natural lake nearAveiro, it is one of the largest natural lakes in the Iberian Peninsula and is rich in wildlife. In theAzores archipelago lakes were formed in the caldera of extinct volcanoes.Lagoa do Fogo andLagoa das Sete Cidades (two small lakes connected by a narrow way) are among the site lakes inSão Miguel Island.
Lagoons in the shores of the Atlantic exist. For instance, the Albufeira Lagoon andÓbidos Lagoon (nearFoz do Arelho,Óbidos).
In addition to continental Europe, Portugal consists of two Autonomous Regions in the Atlantic Ocean, consisting of the archipelagos ofMadeira andAzores. Madeira is located on the African Tectonic Plate, and comprises the main island of Madeira, Porto Santo and the smaller Savage Islands. The Azores, which are located between the junction of the African, European and North American Plates, straddle theMid-Atlantic Ridge. There are nine islands in this archipelago, usually divided into three groups (Western, Central and Eastern) and several smaller Formigas (rock outcroppings) located between São Miguel and Santa Maria Islands. Both island groups arevolcanic in nature, with historic volcanology and seismic activity persisting to the present time. In addition, there are several submarine volcanos in the Azores (such asDom João de Castro Bank), that have erupted historically (such as the Serrata eruption off the coast ofTerceira Island). The last major volcanic event occurred in 1957-58 along the western coast of Faial Island, which formed the Capelinhos Volcano. Seismic events are common in the Azores.The Azores are occasionally subject to very strongearthquakes, as is the continental coast.Wildfires occur mostly in the summer in mainland Portugal and extreme weather in the form of strong winds and floods also occurs mainly in winter. The Azores are occasionally stricken by tropical cyclones such asHurricane Jeanne (1998) andHurricane Gordon (2006).
Most of Portugal has aMediterranean climate according to theKöppen climate classification: "Csa" (or hot-summer Mediterranean climate) in most of the lands south of theTagus River, inland Douro Valley in theNorte Region, eastern Azores and the Madeira archipelago. The "Csb"warm-summer Mediterranean pattern can be found north of that same river and inCosta Vicentina in coastal Southern Portugal. Most of theAzores have ahumid subtropical climate or "Cfa", while a small region in inland Alentejo hasBSk orsemi-arid climate. TheSavage Islands are the only region to have anarid climate or "BWh". Thesea surface temperatures in these islands vary from 18.5 °C (65.3 °F) in winter to 23–24 °C (73.4–75.2 °F) in the summer, occasionally reaching 26 °C (78.8 °F).
The annual average temperature inmainland Portugal varies from 12–13 °C (53.6–55.4 °F) in the mountainous interior north to 17–19 °C (62.6–66.2 °F) in the south (in general the south is warmer and drier than the north). TheMadeira andAzores archipelagos have a narrower temperature range.Funchal is the warmest city in Portugal, with an average annual temperature of 20 °C (68 °F). Extreme temperatures occur in the mountains in the interior North and Centre of the country in winter, where they may fall below −10 °C (14 °F) or in rare occasions below −15 °C (5 °F), particularly in the higher peaks ofSerra da Estrela, and in southeastern parts in the summer, sometimes exceeding 45 °C (113 °F).
The official absolute extreme temperatures are −16 °C (3.2 °F) inPenhas da Saúde on 4 February 1954 andMiranda do Douro, and 47.4 °C (117.3 °F) inAmareleja in theAlentejo region, on 1 August 2003.[16] There are, however, unofficial records of 50.5 °C (122.9 °F) on 4 August 1881 in Riodades,São João da Pesqueira[17] and 70 °C (158.0 °F) on 6 July 1949 inFigueira da Foz in an apparent heat burst (see theHighest temperature recorded on Earth). Such temperatures are not validated since these were measured in enclosures that were much more susceptible to solar radiation and/or in enclosed gardens which tend to heat up a lot more than in the open where temperatures should be measured. There are also records of −17.5 °C (0.5 °F) from a Polytechnic Institute inBragança, and below −20 °C (−4.0 °F) inSerra da Estrela, which have no official value since they were not recorded byIPMA.
The annual average rainfall in continental Portugal varies from around 3,000 mm (118.1 in) in a few mountain tops in the north atPeneda-Gerês National Park to around 450 mm (17.7 in) in inland parts ofAlentejo. InMacaronesia however,Pico Island holds the record with upwards of 5,000 mm (196.9 in) in the higher altitudes and the Savage Islands around 200 mm (7.9 in). Portugal as a whole is amongst the sunniest areas in Europe, with around 2300–3200 hours of sunshine a year, an average of 4-6h in winter and 10-12h in the summer. The sea surface temperature is higher in the south coast where it varies from 15.5–16 °C (59.9–60.8 °F) in January to 21–23 °C (69.8–73.4 °F) in August, occasionally reaching 25 °C (77 °F); on the west coast the sea surface temperature is around 14–16 °C (57.2–60.8 °F) in winter and 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) in the summer.[18]
| Climate data forContinental Portugal, 1991-2020 normals, 2003-present extremes | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.9 (80.4) | 31.6 (88.9) | 36.9 (98.4) | 40.0 (104.0) | 46.6 (115.9) | 47.0 (116.6) | 47.4 (117.3) | 45.0 (113.0) | 38.5 (101.3) | 29.1 (84.4) | 26.4 (79.5) | 47.4 (117.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.4 (56.1) | 14.7 (58.5) | 17.6 (63.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 22.5 (72.5) | 26.7 (80.1) | 29.5 (85.1) | 29.9 (85.8) | 26.8 (80.2) | 22.0 (71.6) | 16.8 (62.2) | 13.9 (57.0) | 21.1 (70.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) | 9.9 (49.8) | 12.4 (54.3) | 14.0 (57.2) | 16.9 (62.4) | 20.4 (68.7) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22.9 (73.2) | 20.5 (68.9) | 16.8 (62.2) | 12.3 (54.1) | 9.8 (49.6) | 15.6 (60.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) | 5.0 (41.0) | 7.2 (45.0) | 8.7 (47.7) | 11.1 (52.0) | 14.0 (57.2) | 15.8 (60.4) | 15.9 (60.6) | 14.2 (57.6) | 11.6 (52.9) | 7.9 (46.2) | 5.6 (42.1) | 10.1 (50.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.2 (13.6) | −10.2 (13.6) | −12.9 (8.8) | −4.8 (23.4) | −2.2 (28.0) | −0.9 (30.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | 2.7 (36.9) | −0.8 (30.6) | −3.1 (26.4) | −10.9 (12.4) | −9.0 (15.8) | −12.9 (8.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 105.0 (4.13) | 73.4 (2.89) | 77.5 (3.05) | 75.5 (2.97) | 61.9 (2.44) | 21.3 (0.84) | 9.9 (0.39) | 13.6 (0.54) | 42.6 (1.68) | 109.2 (4.30) | 114.1 (4.49) | 115.5 (4.55) | 819.5 (32.27) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 85 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 72 | 65 | 57 | 56 | 63 | 76 | 83 | 85 | 73 |
| Source:IPMA,[19][20] Portal do Clima (Humidity 1971-2000)[21] | |||||||||||||
Climate change in Portugal is causing rising temperatures and longer-lastingheat waves, decreases in average rainfall and increases in the number of extremely rainy days (causing droughts and floods), andrising sea levels which will threaten the country's many coastal populations.[22][23] Portugal is among the countries worst affected bywild fires.[24][23]
In 2023 Portugal emitted around 339 million tonnes ofgreenhouse gases (about 5 tonnes per person), equivalent to around 1% of global total emissions.[25] As a EU member state, Portugal is part of their joint plan to reduce emissions by a minimum of 55% by 2030, compared to the level of emissions in 1990. Portugal has committed to carbon neutrality andnet zero by 2050.[26] As of 2023, oil made up 44% of Portugal's total energy supply. However the country phased out coal-fired generation in 2021 and has been developingrenewable energies such ashydopower andwind power[27] and investing in public transport andelectric vehicles.[28][29]
| Seasons | Meteorological | Astronomical | real feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| spring | 1 March to 31 May | 20 March to 19 or 20 June | March to May |
| summer | 1 June to 31 August | 20 or 21 June to 21 or 22 September | June to September |
| autumn | 1 September to 30 November | 22 or 23 September to 20 or 21 December | October to November |
| winter | 1 December to 28/29 February | 21 or 22 December to 20 March | December to February |
Source:[30]
| Climate data forContinental Portugal | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Averageultraviolet index | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Source: weather-atlas[31] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for theAzores | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Averageultraviolet index | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Source: weather-atlas[32] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data forMadeira | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Averageultraviolet index | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Source: weather-atlas[33] | |||||||||||||
Environment - current issues:soil erosion;air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions;water pollution, especially in coastal areas
Environment - international agreements:
party to:Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban
Terrain:Mountainous and hilly north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) onIlha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m
(Mainland:Torre (Serra da Estrela) 1,993m)
Natural resources:fish, forests (cork),tungsten,iron ore,uranium ore,marble, arable land,hydroelectric power
Land use:
arable land:26%
permanent crops:9%
permanent pastures:9%
forests and woodland:36%
other:20% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:6,300 km2 (1993 est.)
Authority control databases: National |
|---|