ALMEIDA, a town of north-eastern Portugal, in the district of Guarda; situated in hilly country near the River Coa, a tribu tary of the Douro, and long an important frontier fortress. Pop. (193o) 1,654. During, the Peninsular War (q.v.) much fighting occurred between the Coa and the Spanish fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, 25m E.S.E. Almeida was taken by the French in 18io, and its recapture, by allied British and Portuguese forces, was only effected after a relieving force under Marshal Massena had been defeated at Fuentes de (Moro, 13m. S.S.E., on May 5, 181i. • ALMELO, town in the province of Overysel, Holland, I 2M. by rail N.W. of Hengelo, at the junction of the Overysel and Almelo canals. Pop. (193o) 32,422. The lordship of Almelo be longed to the lords of Heeckeren, who acquired the barony of Rechteren by marriage in 135o, and the countship of Limpourg in 171i. A branch of the family still holds the seat. The town has shared in the extraordinary development of the Twente district and possesses many cotton and other textile factories. This in dustrial development received a great impetus (1914-18) through the advantages of neutrality enjoyed by Holland.