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Visiting the Protected Areas
O ICNB
Brief notes on the Ecology and Geography of Portugal
  • Portugal
  • Located in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, occupying around a fifth of its area, mainland Portugal extends between latitudes 37º and 42º N, measuring 561 km at its longest point, its breadth varying between 112 km and 218 km. The border with Spain, much of which is delineated by rivers, covers some 1200 km.
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  • Physical features
  • Northern Portugal, with its mountains and high plateaux, cut through by deep valleys, is very different from the lower, mainly flat areas of the south, with few outstanding features.
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  • Biodiversity
  • The diversity of habitats and landscapes in Portugal, the result of many geographical and historical factors, has given rise to a great variety of natural life, particularly species with a restricted area of distribution within continental Europe. Due to political and economic circumstances, the country had a predominantly rural structure until about twenty years ago.
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  • Human occupation
  • Portugal has a long history of human occupation and is deeply marked by the activities of the people who throughout history have shaped the land in accordance with their notions and needs.
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  • Protected areas
  • The need to pay more attention to nature conservation issues has become an imperative, and has led to a number of protective measures, of which the establishment of Protected Areas is a prime example.
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