Continental Portugal

Continental Portugal or mainland Portugal (Portuguese: Portugal Continental) is the colloquial term used to distinguish the portion of the Portuguese unitary state located in the Iberian Peninsula (and so in Continental Europe). Mainland Portugal is commonly referred to, by residents living in the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, as simply the Continent (Portuguese: O Continente) referring to both the socio-geographic and political status that exists between the islands and Lisbon. Before 1975, when the Portuguese territory also included several now independent states in Africa, the designation metrópole was also used.

Context

The designation Mainland Portugal is used to differentiate the continental territory of Portugal from its insular territory. The latter comprises the archipelagos of Madeira and Azores, situated in the Atlantic Ocean. The Azores and Madeira are also commonly referred to as the autonomous regions (Portuguese: as regiões autónomas), insular Portugal (Portuguese: Portugal Insular) or, simply, the islands (Portuguese: as Ilhas).

Continental Portugal is divided in 18 districts. Madeira and Azores are Autonomous Regions of Portugal.

The European Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics defines the geographic plurality of the mainland Portugal and the islands as the primary NUTS I territorial division (see administrative divisions of Portugal: NTUS for details).

While in modern Portugal the difference between continental and total territory is not significant (in terms of area), it mattered during the existence of the Portuguese Empire, when this terminology was used. Continental Portugal has an area of 89,015 square kilometres (34,369 sq mi) or 96.6% of the Portuguese national territory (92,145 square kilometres (35,577 sq mi)) and 10,047,083 inhabitants (or 95.1% of the total population of 10,561,614).

Districts

Main article: Districts of Portugal
District Province(s) EU Statistical region(s)
Viana do Castelo Minho Alto Minho
Braga Minho Ave
Cávado
Tâmega e Sousa
Porto Douro Litoral Porto
Tâmega e Sousa
Vila Real Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Douro
Alto Tâmega
Ave
Bragança Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Trás-os-Montes (majority)
Douro
Aveiro Beira Litoral (majority)
Douro Litoral
Aveiro (majority)
Coimbra
Porto
Tâmega e Sousa
Viseu Beira Alta (majority)
Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Douro Litoral
Viseu Dão Lafões (majority)
Douro
Beira Litoral
Tâmega e Sousa
Guarda Beira Alta (majority)
Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Beiras e Serra da Estrela (majority)
Viseu Dão Lafões
Douro
Coimbra Beira Litoral (majority)
Beira Alta
Beira Baixa
Coimbra
Castelo Branco Beira Baixa Beira Baixa
Beiras e Serra da Estrela
Médio Tejo
Leiria Beira Litoral
Estremadura
Leiria
Oeste
Santarém Ribatejo (majority)
Beira Litoral
Beira Baixa
Médio Tejo
Lezíria do Tejo
Lisbon Estremadura (majority)
Ribatejo
Lisbon (majority)
Oeste
Lezíria do Tejo
Portalegre Alto Alentejo (majority)
Ribatejo
Alto Alentejo
Évora Alto Alentejo Alentejo Central
Setúbal Estremadura
Baixo Alentejo
Lisbon
Alentejo Litoral
Beja Baixo Alentejo Baixo Alentejo (majority)
Alentejo Litoral
Faro Algarve Algarve

EU Statistical Regions (NUTS II)

Main article: Regions of Portugal
Subdivision Districts (entirely or partly included)
Norte Braga, Bragança, Porto, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Aveiro (part), Guarda (part), Viseu (part)
Centro Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Leiria, Aveiro (majority), Guarda (majority), Viseu (majority), Lisbon (part), Santarém (part)
Lisbon Metropolitan Region Lisbon (majority), Setúbal (part)
Alentejo Beja, Évora, Portalegre, Lisbon (part), Santarém (part), Setúbal (part)
Algarve Faro

See also

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