Alentejo

Alentejo is a south-central region of Portugal. It literally translates to "beyond the Tagus." The region is separated from the rest of Portugal by the Tagus river. It extends to the south where it borders the Algarve. There are two sub-regions; the Alto (High) Alentejo, and the Baixo (Lower) Alentejo. Its main cities are ?vora, Portalegre and Beja.

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It has 776,585 inhabitantes (2001), and its area is about 26,000 km?.

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It is one of five Regions of Portugal (NUTS II subdivisions).

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The area is commonly known as the "bread basket" of Portugal, a region of vast open countryside with undulating plains and rich fertile soil. With very few exceptions all the major towns are mainly reliant on agriculture, livestock and wood.

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Topographically the countryside varies considerably, from the open rolling plains of the south of the Alentejo to the granite hills that border Spain in the north-east. To feed the water needs of this considerable area a number of public dams have been constructed.

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To the east of Portalegre is the Parque Natural da Serra de S?o Mamede, a fascinating Nature Park Area that includes charming medieval villages that have changed very little from those days. In the south near M?rtola is another Nature Park Area named Parque Natural do Vale Guadiana. This is mainly uninhabited and a contrast to the other above. To the west, the coastal strip that runs from the port of Sines down to Cape de S?o Vicente is also a reserved area.

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Alentejo is a region known for its polyphonic singing groups, comparable to those found on Sardinia and Corsica.

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Portugal: The Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: Rep?blica Portuguesa) is a democratic republic located on the west and southwest parts of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, and is the westernmost country in continental Europe. Portugal is bordered by Spain to the north and east and by the Atlantic O...

Tagus: Tagus (Latin Tagus, Spanish Tajo, Portuguese Tejo) is the largest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It measures 1,038 kilometers in length, 716 km of which are in Spain, 47 km as border between Portugal and Spain and the remaining 275 km in Portugal....

Algarve: The Algarve is the name of the southern coast of Portugal, incorporating, amongst others, the towns of Faro, Lagos, and Sagres. The region's administrative centre is the town of Faro, which has its own international airport....