Odemira ( or ) is a town and a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

Beja District The Beja District () is located in southern Portugal. The district capital is the city of Beja. It is the largest district of the country by area, and constitutes around 11% of its area. Municipalities The district is composed of 14 municipali ...

in the Portuguese region of

Alentejo Alentejo ( , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond () the Tagus river" (''Tejo''). Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo and Baixo Alent ...

. The population in 2011 was 26,066,Instituto Nacional de Estatística
/ref> in an area of 1720.60 km², making it the largest municipality of Portugal by area. It is famous for its wild beaches and for being home to a significant Dutch and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

community. The village of Zambujeira do Mar is home to the Festival do Sudoeste, one of the biggest rock festivals in

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 ...

. The municipality of Odemira has great agricultural potential, specially in the western area of the region, and is home to major operations of important agricultural companies like Vitacress, world leader in the salad market. The present Mayor is José Alberto Guerreiro, elected by the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of ...

. The municipal holiday is 8 September.

Geography

Odemira - Zambujeira do Mar-8 (48885127961)

The municipality of Odemira is located in southwestern Portugal, bordered by the municipalities of

Sines Sines () is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The municipality, divided into two parishes, has around 14,214 inhabitants (2021) in an area of . Sines holds an important oil refinery and several petrochemical industries. It is also a popular ...

and

Santiago do Cacém Santiago do Cacém ( or ) is a municipality in Setúbal District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 29,749, in an area of 1059.69 km2. The present mayor is Álvaro Beijinha, elected by the Unitary Democratic Coalition. The municipal holi ...

to the north,

Ourique Ourique () is a city in the District of Beja in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 5,389, in an area of 663.31 km2. This town is traditionally considered the site of the famous Battle of Ourique in 1139, which saw the forces of Portugues ...

to the east, and the Algarvian municipalities of Aljezur and Monchique to the south. Much of the municipality is within the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Nature Park.

Climate

Odemira has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

. Winters are mild and rainy, with daytime temperatures usually around and nighttime lows around . Summers are dry and sunny and are hot in the interior of the municipality (maxima is around bordering

) and warm at the coast (where maxima is around ).

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 13 civil parishes (''

freguesias ''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Port ...

''): * Boavista dos Pinheiros * Colos * Longueira / Almograve * Luzianes-Gare * Relíquias * Sabóia * Santa Clara-a-Velha * São Luís * São Martinho das Amoreiras * São Salvador e Santa Maria * São Teotónio * Vale de Santiago * Vila Nova de Milfontes

Notable people

* Pedro Damiano (1480–1544) a Portuguese chess player and pharmacist by profession * Pedro de Almada Pereira (1835 in Odemira – 1911) an Alentejan landowner, schoolmaster and journalist, founded the periodical ''O Campo de Ourique''

Population

Gallery

Image:V Nova de Milfontes.jpg, Vila Nova de Milfontes. Image:V. Nova de Milfontes.JPG, Vila Nova de Milfontes. Image:Zambujeira.jpg, Zambujeira.

References

External links

Town Hall official websitePhotos from Odemira
Towns in Portugal Populated places in Beja District Municipalities of Beja District {{Beja-geo-stub