PORTUGAL, the most westerly kingdom of Europe, a part of the great Spanish penin. sula, lies in 30° 55' to 42° 8' and 6° 15' to 9° 30 w. long. Its greatest length from n. to s. is 368 m., and its average breadth from 0. to w. about 100 miles. The kingdom of Portugal proper is bounded by the Atlantic on the s. and w., and by Spain on the n. and east. The table gives the area and pop. of the seven old provinces, still popularly retained, with the corresponding official districts: Azores, 920 sq.m.; pop. '75, 261,746. Madeira, etc., 330 sq.m.; pop. 121,753. The islands are officially reckoned as belonging to the home territories.
The colonial possessions 'of Portugal are, in Verd islands, 1630.02 sq.m.; pOp. 76.003. Senegambia, 35,437.50 sq.m.; pop. 8,500. Islands of San-Thome and Prin cipe, of Guinea, 448:56 sq.m.; pop. 23,681. Ajuda, 12 sq.m.; 700. Angola, Ben guela. 200.602.50 sq.m.; pop. 2,000,000. Mozambique and dependencies, 293,500 sq.m. pop. 300,000. In Salcete, 1440.6 sq.m.; pop. 474,231. Dimino, Diu, 94.08 sq.m.; pop. 53,283. In the Indian Archipelago, 2,877 sq.m.; pop. 230,000. Macao, 11.76 sq.m.; pop. 71,739. Total of colonies, 526.041.48 sq.m.; pop. 3,238,110.
Physical Aspect, must be regarded as essentially a littoral country, forming the Atlantic or western part of the Spanish peninsula, from which it is separated by political, rather than physical boundaries. Its mountains and rivers are, with few exceptions, mere western prolongations of those of Spain. The principal mountain ranges lie about half-way inland, leaving almost the whole of its 500 m. of coast-line a flat sandy tract, with few rocky headlands, and hence there are scarcely any harbors or places of safe anchorage, except at the embOuchures of the larger rivers. The highest range is the Serra de Estrella, which, passing from n.n.e. to s.s.w., through Beira and Estremadnra, terminates in the steep acclivities of Cintra and Cap Is Rocca, near Lisbon. The principal chain, which is also known as the Serra da Junto, merges in a series of ridges, which cover a tract 30 in. in length, between the Tagus and the sea. Another
mountain range, named the Serra de Calderao and the Serra de Monchique, but consti tuting a mere continuation of the Spanish Sierra Morena, crosses the southern part of Portugal from e. to w., and terminates in its most southern promontory of Cape St. Vincent. These ranges, with the numerous mountain-spurs that intersect the northern districts in every direction, so thoroughly occupy the area of Portugal that there are only two or three plains of any extent in the whole country, and these are situated to the w: of the Guadiana, in Alemtejo, and in Beira and Estremadura, near the Tagus and Vouga. The valleys are very numerous, and by their great fruitfulness present a strik contrast to the barren and rugged mountains by which they are inclosed. The principal rivers enter Portugal from Spain. Of these the largest are the Guadiana, which, leaving Spain near Badajoz, forms in part the boundary between the southern provinces of the neighboring kingdom; while the Minho and Douro, flowing w., form a part of the boundary in the n. and n.e. The Tagus, or Tejo, intersects Portugal from its northern frontier to the southern termination of the Estrella mountains, where it enters the sea a little below Lisbon. The Mondego, the largest river belonging entirely to Portugal, after receiving numerous affluents in its course, falls into the sea about mid way between the Douro and the Tagus. The larger rivers, although obstructed at their mouth with dangerous bars, afford admirable means of internal navigation, together with the numerous lessor streams, and might, through canals, be connected into one great system of water-routes; but hitherto nothing has been done to improve these great natural advantages Except a few mountain tarns, Portugal lies no lakes. It has salt.
marshes on the coast, near Setubal in Estremadura, and Aveiro in Beira, whence large quantities of salt are annually obtained by evaporation. Mineral sprimrs are abundant in many parts of the country, but hitherto they have been almost wholly neglected.