The Central Region ( pt, Região do Centro, ) or Central Portugal is one of the
statistical regions of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
. The cities with major administrative status inside this region are
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...
,
Aveiro,
Viseu,
Caldas da Rainha,
Leiria,
Castelo Branco,
Covilhã,
Torres Vedras and
Guarda. It is one of the seven
Regions of Portugal (
NUTS II subdivisions). It is also one of the regions of Europe, as given by the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
for statistical and
geographical purposes. Its area totals . As of 2011, its population totalled 2,327,026 inhabitants,
with a population density of 82 inhabitants per square kilometre.
History
Inhabited by the
Lusitanians, an
Indo-European people
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutc ...
living in the western
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
, the
Romans settled in the region and colonized it as a part of the Roman Province of ''
Lusitânia''. The Roman town of
Conímbriga, near
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...
, is among the most noted and well-preserved remains of that period. After the
fall of the Western Roman Empire
The fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome) was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its va ...
,
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is k ...
were the main rulers and colonizers from the 5th to the 8th century.
In the 8th century, the
Muslim conquest of Iberia
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania, also known as the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom, was the initial expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate over Hispania (in the Iberian Peninsula) from 711 to 718. The conquest resulted in the decline of t ...
turned the region a Muslim-dominated territory.
In the earliest years of the Christian ''
Reconquista
The ' ( Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the N ...
'', just before the rise of a Portuguese national identity, the region was a battleplace between Christian
crusaders and Muslim Moors. Once the
Christian regained control, kings and landlords made the region a county, called the
County of Coimbra. It was integrated into the newly created ''
Condado Portucalensis'', the early precursor of the modern nation of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
.
The modern region matches up roughly with the boundaries of the historical
Beira Province, as well as the ''
Oeste'' in former
Estremadura and ''
Médio Tejo'' in former
Ribatejo.
Beira was an historical province of Portugal and its name was used by the heirs to the
Portuguese throne during the monarchy period, before 1910. The princes were known as the
Princes of Beira.
Historic villages
Along the region's mountainous border with
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
are a series of
fortresses and
castles that once protected the country from its many invaders. Over the centuries, Moors,
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...
,
Spaniards
Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex history, including a number of different languages, both ...
and
Portuguese have all tried to take these
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
s, but their higher elevations usually gave them a distinct advantage. On that border, the more than one dozen fortified frontier villages beckon today's visitors to come explore a 900-year history — full of the heroism, epic battles and romance upon which
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
struggled to become a nation. Today, Portugal boasts the longest-standing border in all of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
.
In these rural border
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
s, ancient rituals and religious festivals remain popular. Visitors can sample them and partake in the traditional foods of that area, such as cheese, sausages, and mountain honey.
In the fortress town of
Almeida, a walk through the narrow cobbled streets can lead a visitor to the ruins of a once mighty 12-pointed fortress. One of Portugal's many ''Pousadas''— an historic property turned into an inn— is located in Almeida.
In the town of Castelo Rodrigo, a memorial stone marks the place of a fierce battle in 1664, and visitors can view the remains of the castle and its
keep
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
, as well as a palace. The town also has a small
Gothic church
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It ...
. Near Castelo Mendo stands an intricate stone bridge built by the
Romans.
Frontier castles
Most of the castles in this border region of Central are classified as
national monuments. These stone fortresses date back to the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. Castles, or parts of castles, still stand at Alfaiates, Sortelha,
Vilar Maior,
Sabugal, Castelo Mendo,
Castelo Bom, Castelo Rodrigo, Penamacor, Monsanto, Pinhel and Almeida. A 20-castle route has been delineated by the Portugal government (se
www.visitportugal.com, of which Sortelha, Castelo Mendo, Castelo Rodrigo and the fortified town of
Almeida are considered gems among them all.
Geography
The ''Centro'' is a region of diversified landscapes. The interior is mountainous with some plateaus, dominated by the
Serra da Estrela mountain. The region is plentiful of
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
and
chestnut trees forests. The green, rugged landscape of this region is crisscrossed by rivers. Several river valleys at the foot of the mountains have a full bodied charm that draw one to outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, tennis and canoeing. In the Winter season, skiing on ''Serra da Estrela'' is a popular activity, but in some places, like near the town of
Seia, skiing before the Winter season is possible due to artificial snow infrastructures. The coastal plain has several beaches, like the ones of
Mira,
Figueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz (), also known as Figueira for short, is a city and a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. Practically at the midpoint of the Iberian Peninsula's Atlantic coast, it is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, we ...
,
Ílhavo,
Nazaré,
Peniche and
São Martinho do Porto. Natural landmarks in this region are the
Serra da Estrela mountain range (the biggest and highest in
mainland Portugal
Continental Portugal ( pt, Portugal continental, ) or mainland Portugal comprises the bulk of the Portuguese Republic, namely that part on the Iberian Peninsula and so in Continental Europe, having approximately 95% of the total population and 9 ...
), with its
Serra da Estrela Natural Park, the
Mondego river (the longest river located exclusively in Portuguese territory), the
Aveiro Lagoon ''(Ria de Aveiro)'' and the coastal beaches.
The largest urban centres include
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...
,
Fátima,
Aveiro,
Viseu,
Leiria,
Covilhã,
Castelo Branco,
Figueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz (), also known as Figueira for short, is a city and a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. Practically at the midpoint of the Iberian Peninsula's Atlantic coast, it is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, we ...
,
Guarda,
Pombal,
Tomar,
Abrantes,
Torres Vedras,
Torres Novas,
Águeda and
Caldas da Rainha.
Subregions
The region is divided in eight sub-regions:
*
Beira Baixa
*
Beiras e Serra da Estrela
The Comunidade Intermunicipal das Beiras e Serra da Estrela () is an administrative division in eastern Portugal. It was created in 2013. Since January 2015, Beiras e Serra da Estrela is also a NUTS3 subregion of Centro Region
The Central Region ...
*
Médio Tejo
*
Oeste
*
Região de Aveiro
*
Região de Coimbra
*
Região de Leiria
*
Viseu Dão Lafões
Economy
The
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is of ...
(GDP) of the region was 38.2 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 18.8% of Portugal's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 20,100 euros or 67% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 68% of the EU average.
One of Portugal's richest regions by the abundance of natural streams of water, forests, arable land and its long coast line, the Central region has some of the most economically dynamic and densely populated municipalities of the country. Excellent transportation links with the
Lisbon metropolitan area to the south and the
Porto Metropolitan Area
The Porto Metropolitan Area ( pt, Área Metropolitana do Porto; abbreviated as AMP) is a metropolitan area in northern Portugal centered on the City of Porto, Portugal's second largest city.Fernanda Paula Oliveira (2009), The metropolitan area, ...
to the north, making ocean, rail and motorway access possible via containers, have all contributed to making manufacturing the principal industry, found mainly in the littoral strip, which is one of the largest industrialized areas in Portugal. Important products such as
motor vehicles,
food,
electrical appliances,
machinery,
chemicals, and
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distribu ...
are produced there.
Higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...
,
research and development,
healthcare,
information technologies,
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...
,
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...
,
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
,
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...
, and
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
industries are all major industries in the region. The
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...
regions of
Dão DOC
Dão is a Portuguese wine region situated in the Região Demarcada do Dão with the Dão-Lafões sub region of the Centro, Portugal. It is one of the oldest established wine regions in Portugal. Dão wine is produced in a mountainous region with a ...
and
Bairrada DOC are among the most reputed in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
. The major industrial, commerce, and service centres are located in and around
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...
,
Aveiro,
Viseu,
Leiria,
Covilhã,
Castelo Branco, and
Figueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz (), also known as Figueira for short, is a city and a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. Practically at the midpoint of the Iberian Peninsula's Atlantic coast, it is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, we ...
. Important light industry and agriculture is also based in and around
Guarda,
Torres Novas,
Torres Vedras and
Caldas da Rainha.
Education
The Central region has three
public universities: the
University of Coimbra, the oldest Portuguese university and the largest in the region; the
Aveiro University
The University of Aveiro ( pt, Universidade de Aveiro) is a public university, in addition to providing polytechnic education, located in the Portuguese city of Aveiro. Founded in 1973, it has a student population of approximately 12,500, distr ...
; and the
University of Beira Interior. There are also five state-run
polytechnical institutes:
Castelo Branco Polytechnical Institute;
Coimbra Polytechnical Institute;
Guarda Polytechnical Institute;
Leiria Polytechnical Institute; and
Viseu Polytechnical Institute. In addition, there are a large number of public
nursing schools and
private higher education institutions across the region.
See also
*
Provinces of Portugal
*
Regions of Portugal
References
External links
Center of Portugal(Official Center Tourism site)
Fatima Tourism(Official Fatima Tourism site)
{{Regions of Portugal
NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union
NUTS 2 statistical regions of Portugal