PORTUGAL E-READER Flashcards
Size of Portugal
It has a length of 560 km and a width that varies between 112 and 218 km
Where Portugal it located?
West Europe (like Ireland), It borders the Atlantic Ocean on the south and west (848 km) and the country is located between 42 and 37 degrees of latitude north
What is the highest point in Portugal?
Serra da Estrela
Geologically most of the country is the result of old and major tectonic events that resulted in what kind of rocks?
metamorphic rocks such as granites, schist and quartzite
What’s the difference between granites, schist, and quartzite?
Schist erodes away easily while granite and quartz do not.
Rivers cut through the interior mountainous areas forming deep canyons and they empty in the Atlantic Ocean what?
eroded materials from the uplands and opening wide alluvial and fertile valleys
Describe the north of Portugal
mountainous with steep canyons, high plateaus and saddle valleys between mountains
Describe center of Portugal
A central mountain range separates the north from the south
Describe the south of Portugal
Some mountainous regions, rolling hills and extensive plains
Describe the climate of Portugal
mild with the highest precipitation in the mountainous areas of the northwest. Rainfall patterns are irregular and the southern plains often experience severe droughts. Temperature ranges are higher in the south and on the coast than in the interior regions of the north and lower in the interior mountains and the south. More pronounced during winter and summer.
What affects soil formations, vegetation patterns and crop production?
Rock formations, erosion, rainfall and temperatures
Northern rivers have higher and more regular flows but but cause what?
can cause devastating floods particularly after dam projects affected flow patterns and erosion.
Describe the soils in different regions in Portugal
Northern granite soils erode slowly but produce deep soils particularly in the wider valleys.
On the hillsides, soils are shallow and their depth reflects the steepness of the hills.
Southern soils are generally shallower. Alluvial (clay, silt, sand, gravel, deposited by water) soils are poor and thin except in a few regions were clayey soils prevail (Beja area) or along the alluvial basins of the rivers Tejo and Sado (near Lisbon).
Describe vegetation in Portugal
In the north: the oak and the pine, and eucalyptus.
In the northeast: chestnut and black oak.
In the south: l Mediterranean oak species, which produces cork.
Is Portugal’s climate favorable to agriculture?
No, but the Portuguese do cultivate small garden plots everywhere and those products are the mainstay of household and local economies. Portugal was, and is, an agricultural country since Roman times.
Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra are principal urban centers with what?
High population density
What has urban sprawl done?
Urban sprawl has blurred the distinction between urban and rural areas and it is easy to find agricultural fields next door to factories or nested into semi-urban areas
How did immigrants change Portugal?
immigrants brought needed technology and financial support, which changed the nature of agriculture
Where did the Portuguese go during the World Wars?
First: US and Brazil
Second: other Norther European cities
Describe regional fruit finding in Portugal
In the north, cabbage, potato, apple trees, pear trees, nespere and cherry trees as well as corn, wheat, and barley.
In the south, Mediterranean citrus trees, peach trees, tomatoes, rice and corn, wheat.
The grape is found all over the country and all regions produce wine.
Portugal is the top producer of?
Cork
Describe cattle culture in Portugal
Cows found more in north, entire country has sheep, goats and pigs
Describe cattle culture in Portugal
Cows found more in north, entire country has sheep, goats and pigs
Describe fishing influence and production in Portugal
Coastal and deep-sea fishing, fish preserves, canning, Cod fishing, salt exploration and collection of kelp, as well as a variety of seaweeds are economic activities.
