Alcoutim

Alcoutim (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐlkowˈtĩ] (listen)) is a town and a municipality in southeastern Portugal near the border with Spain.[1] The population in 2011 was 2,917,[2] in an area of 575.36 km².[3] It is the least densely populated municipality in Portugal. The municipality is limited on the north by Mértola Municipality, on the east by Huelva Province in Spain, on the southeast by Castro Marim Municipality, on the southwest by Tavira Municipality and on the west by Loulé Municipality and Almodôvar Municipality. The administrative center is the town of Alcoutim, located at the extreme eastern part of the municipality on the Spanish frontier, just across the Guadiana River from the Spanish town of Sanlúcar de Guadiana in Huelva Province.

For the civil parish, see Alcoutim (parish).
Alcoutim
Municipality
Flag
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 37°28′N 7°28′W
Country Portugal
RegionAlgarve
Intermunic. comm.Algarve
DistrictFaro
Parishes4
Government
 • PresidentOsvaldo Gonçalves (PS)
Area
 • Total575.36 km2 (222.15 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total2,917
 • Density5.1/km2 (13/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC±00:00 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+01:00 (WEST)
Local holidaySecond Friday of September
Websitehttp://www.cm-alcoutim.pt

The Moorish Alcoutim Castle, located in the municipality, dates from the 14th century.

The municipality is located in the northeast corner of Faro District.

The present Mayor is Francisco Augusto Amaral, elected by the Social Democratic Party. The municipal holiday is June 13.

Coat of arms
Tomb of Pedro de Menezes, in the Igreja da Graça in Santarém.

The coat of arms of Alcoutim - a wreath of zambujeiro (wild olive tree) and the slogan Aleo - is derived from the decorative motif of the tomb of Pedro de Menezes, 1st Count of Vila Real, found in the Igreja da Graça in Santarém. 'Aleu' or 'aleo' is an old Portuguese term for a 'gaming stick' (as used in hockey or shuffleboard). It refers to a famous episode concerning Pedro de Menezes from shortly after the Conquest of Ceuta on September 2, 1415 (commemorated on Ceuta Day). Pedro de Menezes was engaged in an outdoor game in the king's presence when a messenger arrived reporting an imminent Moroccan attack on Portuguese-held Ceuta. Menezes is said to have raised his gaming stick (aleo) and told the king that "with that stick alone" he could defend Ceuta from all the power of Morocco.[4] Pedro's descendants were later made Counts of Alcoutim. Similar design can be seen on the coat of arms of Vila Real

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 4 civil parishes (freguesias):[5]

Climate

Alcoutim has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa), due to its location in the Guadiana River basin it has a climate that very much resembles that of relatively nearby Seville. With an average July high of around 35 °C (95 °F) it is one of the hottest places in Portugal and Europe during the summer months.

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References
  1. Detail Regional Map, Algarve- Southern Portugal, ISBN 3-8297-6235-6
  2. Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  3. "Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país". Archived from the original on 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
  4. "Eu só com este páu, sou capaz de defender Ceuta, de todo o poder dos mouros", as reported in Portugal antigo e moderno, 1878, p. 495.
  5. Diário da República. "Law nr. 11-A/2013, page 552 8" (pdf) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 July 2014.
Municipality of Faro District (Algarve)

Albufeira
Alcoutim
Aljezur
Castro Marim
Faro
Lagoa
Lagos
Loulé
Monchique
Olhão
Portimão
São Brás de Alportel
Silves (Portugal)
Tavira
Vila do Bispo
Vila Real de Santo António
Albufeira Alcoutim Aljezur Castro Marim Faro Lagoa Lagos Loulé Monchique Olhão Portimão São Brás de Alportel Silves Tavira Vila do Bispo Vila Real de Santo António
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