Misplaced Pages

#692307

22-590: The district is composed of 16 municipalities : All 16 municipalities are divided into 67 parishes or freguesias. In Pre-Roman Portugal , the area was inhabited by the Cynetes (or Conii), a people (formed by several tribes ) of linguistic and ethnic affiliation, possibly Celtic or Iberian , whose territory included the modern area of the Beja District . This former territory of the Cysteines ran from

44-545: A greater area. The following chart show municipalities (as of 2023) with populations over 100,000. Around 190 municipalities have less than 20,000 inhabitants each. Concelho Concelho ( Portuguese pronunciation: [kõˈseʎu] ) is the Portuguese-language term for municipality , referring to the territorial subdivision in local government . In comparison, the word município ( Portuguese pronunciation: [muniˈsipiu] ) refers to

66-598: A high degree of autonomy. In part due to the favorable relationship with the Romans, the colonies had some conflicts with the Lusitanians , who under the leadership of Caucenus , the Lusitanian leader before Viriathus , had conquered their territory for some time, including the capital, Conistorgis (whose location is still not known, but is thought to be in modern-day Faro or Castro Marim ) in 153 BC. Partly due to

88-483: A number of alderman (normally between 5 and 17) elected by lists, using direct, universal suffragan vote, based with or without political parties. The municipal assembly, sometimes parliament , is responsible principally for auditing the activities of the executive branch. Its members are elected by population and proportionally by civil parishes, using the same schema as the executive (by universal direct suffrage with or without political parties), but also represented by

110-551: A period of time. In the year 552, the current area of Algarve was regained by the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire (then governed by Emperor Justinian I ), and a government was appointed that lasted until the year 571, when King Liuvigild conquered it for the Visigothic Kingdom . The Cape St. Vincent is situated in a route of migrating birds , allowing for the seasonal observation of

132-403: A social distinction based on population size and associated services and have no legal representation in law or constitution. Portugal has no unincorporated areas ; all the national territory belongs to a municipality, including uninhabited islands: Berlengas to Peniche , Desertas Islands to Santa Cruz , Selvagens Islands to Funchal , and Formigas Islets to Vila do Porto . Portugal

154-444: Is divided into 18 continental districts ( Portuguese : distritos ) and two autonomous regions ( Portuguese : regiões autónomas ), Azores and Madeira . The table below is the distribution of the municipalities within these districts and the autonomous regions: The biggest municipalities are those located in rural and inland areas where the dominating property type is the latifundia , such as Beja , Évora , or Portalegre in

176-405: Is the second-level administrative subdivision of Portugal , as defined by the 1976 Constitution . As a general rule, each municipality is further subdivided into parishes ( freguesias ); the municipalities in the north of the country usually have a higher number of parishes. Six municipalities are composed of only one parish, and Barcelos , with 61 parishes, has the most. Corvo is, by law,

198-630: The organs of State . This differentiation is still in use in Portugal and some of its former overseas provinces, but is no longer in use in Brazil following the abolition of these organs, in favour of the French prefecture system. It is similar to borough and council . After the civil parish ( Portuguese : freguesias ), the Portuguese concelho is the most stable territorial subdivision within

220-652: The 19th century after the administrative reforms conducted by the middle of the 19th century by the governments of the constitutional monarchy . The concelhos probably formed after the expulsion of the Visigothic rulers by the Moors during the Umayyad conquest of Hispania . Towns were thus left free to govern themselves, and the population started to organize in councils ( concelhos in Portuguese) in order to govern

242-597: The Liberal era. Today, the municipalities are governed by the municípios , constituted by the Câmara Municipal ( Municipal Chamber ), its executive organ and by the Assembleia Municipal ( Municipal Assembly ), its deliberative body. The Câmara is the executive body that is charged with governing the territory and policies of the region. Owing to population, the municipal chamber can comprise

SECTION 10

#1732771860693

264-655: The conflict with the Portuguese (and partly due to the cultural influence of Mediterranean civilizations), unlike many pre-Roman peoples of Portugal, they were allies of the Romans for some time and not their opponents, differing from the attitude of most of the other peoples, such as the Lusitanians who were strong opponents of the Romans. Nevertheless, a while later, in the context of the Lusitanian Wars, in

286-573: The country, with over 900 years of history. Founded in the royal charters attributed to parcels and territorial enclaves, in order to establish a presence by the Crown, rather than personal fiefdoms of the nobility and aristocracy. This municipal institution changed throughout history: many were abolished and reconstituted based on the political necessity; first they were subject to the specifics of each charter (which varied based on conditions and circumstances), and then based on national laws established during

308-633: The infusion of new revenues and facilitated growth in population and size. There are 308 municipalities in Portugal: 278 in mainland Portugal , 19 in the autonomous region of the Azores , and 11 in Madeira . They are usually named for their biggest city, or at least, their historically most important city or town. However, the municipality is not synonymous with the city (or urban centre) and can include various towns or cities. In Portugal, cities/towns are

330-657: The mouth of the Mira River all the way to the Guadiana River . It is possible that they were related to the Tartessos (people whose linguistic and ethnic affiliation is also not yet fully known or determined), but were not the same people. Before the definitive integration of the canons into the Roman Empire , during the period from about 200 BC to 141 BC, they were under strong Roman influence, but enjoyed

352-440: The municipality's population. The municipal assembly is composed of the presidents of all the parishes that compose the municipality, as well as by a number of directly elected deputies, at least equal to the number of parish presidents plus one. Both bodies are elected for four years. Portugal has an entirely separate system of ceremonial cities and towns . Cities and towns are located in municipalities but often do not have

374-414: The only municipality with no parishes. Since the creation of a democratic local administration, in 1976, the Portuguese municipalities have been ruled by a system composed of an executive body (the municipal chamber ) and a deliberative body (the municipal assembly ). The municipal chamber is the executive body and is composed of the president of the municipality and a number of councillors proportional to

396-502: The same boundaries, even they are continuously built up. There are around twice as many cities and towns as there are municipalities. The municipality has been the most stable subdivision of Portugal since the foundation of the country in the 12th century. They have their origin in the foral , a legal document, issued by the King of Portugal , which assigned privileges to a town or a region. The present subdivisions have their origins in

418-488: The south, and also in other less populated areas, such as Bragança or Castelo Branco . The most populous municipalities are those located near the sea, and especially around the metropolitan areas of Lisbon , Porto , and Braga , while the less populous municipalities are located in the inland regions of Alentejo and Trás-os-Montes . The municipalities with the lowest population densities are also found in these inland regions, with smaller populations distributed over

440-480: The town and surrounding lands. These were also a reminder of Roman municipalities. The existence since the Middle Ages of a large number of small municipalities with no financial resources and without people qualified to take part in municipal councils caused the stagnation of their growth. The Liberal revolution of 1836, resulted in the suppression/annexation of many of these smaller municipalities, which allowed

462-701: The variety of bird life. The subsoil of the district is inhabited by several endemic species unique to Faro, some still just being discovered. The most emblematic species of the underground fauna of the Algarve are the giant pseudo-scorpion of the Algarve caves ( Titanobochica magna ) and the largest terrestrial cave insect in Europe , Squamatinia algharbica . 37°00′54″N 7°56′06″W  /  37.01500°N 7.93500°W  / 37.01500; -7.93500 Municipalities of Portugal The municipality ( Portuguese : município or concelho )

SECTION 20

#1732771860693

484-660: The year of 141BC, the Conidia revolted against the Roman Empire, along with the Turduli of Beturia (also called betures), but were quickly defeated by Quintus Fabius Maximus Servilianus , a Roman proconsul , and was definitively integrated into the Roman Empire. Despite being conquered by the so-called barbarian peoples ( Vandals , Alans , Suebi , and later Visigoths ) at the time of Barbarian migrations or invasions, Roman culture and Christianity remained there for

#692307