Monday, December 8, 2008

Portugal - Porto

I received this beautiful postcard in the Slavic countries RR :) It shows the old, historical and monumental part of Porto, which is a UNESCO site.

Porto, also Oporto in English, is Portugal's second city and capital of the Norte NUTS II region. The city is located in the estuary of the Douro river in northern Portugal. The largest city in the region, Porto is considered the economic and cultural heart of the entire region. The city, which had an estimated population of about 240,000 (2008), lies at the centre of the political Greater Metropolitan Area of Porto, with a population of slightly more than 2.0 millions (est. 2008), and of a broader metropolitan agglomeration (including the city of Braga) with over 3.2 million inhabitants (2008).

The city of Porto comprises 15 parishes ("Freguesias"). The historic centre of Porto was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

One of Portugal's most internationally famous products, Port wine, is named after the city because it is produced in, and shipped from the area. or, more precisely, from Vila Nova de Gaia, a city just across the river which belongs to the same conurbation.

The country was also named after the Latin name of Porto, Portus Cale

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