Portugal (in Portuguese: Portugal, for Mirandese: Pertual), the European Union Member State. It is located in the westernmost position among all states of continental Europe.
Westernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula, southern Europe, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, with some 830 kilometers to the south and west coasts, borders only with Spain (Galicia in the north, Castile and Leon, Extremadura and Andalusia to the east). Its territory, corresponding to the ancient Roman province of Lusitania, occupies a long strip of land about 700 km and wide 150/200 km from the findings that the Iberian Meseta descends to the Atlantic coast.
Favored by this particular location over the centuries the small kingdom of Portugal succeeded in gaining a significant seafaring experience that allowed him to build a vast colonial rule, with properties in all continents, dissoltosi only in the seventies. It remain the two archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, which are part of the national territory as autonomous regions. It is part of NATO, the Council of Europe, the OECD and the European Union.
The entry into the EU took place on 1 January 1986.
The coasts of Portugal are presented with straight sections and sandy stretches and high and rocky. Often encountered deep indentations interrupted by rocky headlands.
Portugal has occupied for just over half of its territory from the plains (53%), 26% from the hill and 21% from the mountain. The maximum height of the continental region consist of 1,993 meters of Mount Malhão da Estrela Serra da Estrela which culminates in the northern half of the country, which is also the most mountainous. At the southern end there are two small mountain ranges oriented west-east direction. Extensive alluvial and marine origin plains separate the coast from the hills and the mountains beyond. The most important is the Alentejo plains, whose name means "beyond the Tagus", a river that marks its end.
Portugal is one Tricontinental State, Europe, virtually all of the archipelago of Madeira but geographically belongs to Africa and the islands of Flores and Corvo in the Azores, although geographically closer to Europe than to the Americas, are entirely located on the plate the American continent.
Highly seismic, Portugal was hit several times by earthquakes (the famous earthquake of 1755, which destroyed much of Lisbon).
Despite the size of the territory it is rather limited (less than 1/3 of Italy) Portugal has strong climatic differences. In the north the climate is Atlantic, mild and rainy during the autumn season. To the south the climate, influenced by warm air masses from Africa, is typically Mediterranean and therefore very dry. The inner lands, towards the border with Spain, are less affected by the oceanic influence and their climate presents more continental.
To the north, which is the most mountainous part of the country, the climate is decidedly Atlantic, that is, with heavy rainfall and with the ocean influence, mitigated by the presence of cold currents lapping on the shores. To the south of Lisbon and Cape da Roca (the westernmost tip) the effect of low latitude takes over and accentuates the dryness, a result of poor rains. Finally in Algarve, the southernmost region overlooking Africa and protected behind by some relief, the climate become subtropical.
The climate of Portugal would promote the development of oak, chestnut and beech trees. However, the most common plant nowadays is the eucalyptus, used for the production of paper. In coastal areas growing the maritime pine and sometimes the dwarf palm.
In the Azores archipelago, made up of nine mountainous islands of volcanic origin, the climate is temperate and humid; the natural vegetation is reduced to short stretches of forest. This climate allows life to different plant species, an example is the Terra Nostra Park.
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