PORTUGAL, KINGDOM OF, is the most westerly kingdom of Europe. It forms part of the Spanish Peninsula, and is not divided from Spain by any well-defined natural boundaries. Most of the great rivers of Portugal—the Minho, the Douro, the Tejo (Tagus), and the Guadiana—have their sources in Spain, and belong to Portugal only in the lower part of their basins. The Mondego, the Zezere, and the Sado are the only considerable rivers which have their sources and their whole courses within the limits of Portugal. Portugal is bounded N. by the Spanish province of Galicia; E. by the Spanish provinces of Leon, Estremadura, and Sevilla; and S. and W. by the Atlantic Ocean. The greatest length from north to south is about 350 miles; the average width from west to east is about 100 miles. The area is 35,189 square miles. The population in 1351 was 3,487,025. The political divisions, with the area and population of each, are as follows :— In addition to the above political divisions, each of the sub provinces, or districts, is subdivided into comareas (or judiciary divi sions), cancelhos (or communal divisions), and parishes, all of which are enumerated under the names of the respective provinces. The total number of comereas is 111 ; of cancelhos, 379; of parishes, 3774.
Colonial Pourseione.—Tho separation of Brazil from its connection with the mother-country deprived Portugal of its most important colony. The dependencies which it still retains are as follows :—Tho AZORES : area, 1145 square miles ; population (1851), 234,014. Rumen, with Porto Santo : area, 334 square miles; population (1851), 108,439. CAPE VERT) ISLANDS: area, 1642 square miles; population (1851), 86,640. The islands of Santo Theme and Do Prin cipe, in the Gulf of Guinea: area, 453 square miles; population (1851), 14,580. Macao : area, 12 square miles ; population (1851), 29,597. The other dependencies comprise establishments on the continent of Africa, namely, on the coasts of Guinea, Angola, Benguela, and Mozambique ; in Hindustan, at Goa, Diu, and Dateaun ; on tho islands of Timor, Soler, &c.
Coast—The length of the coast-line of Portugal is about 500 miles, of which about 400 miles face the west, and 100 miles the south.
The lofty precipice of Cape St. Vincent forms the south-western angle, and the coasts for some distance both to the east and north are rocky, MO, and steep. Farther to the cut the shores become low, and are bordered with small sandy islands, one of which forms Cape Santa Maria, the most southern point of Portugal. Cape St. Vincent is the chief termiumtion of the Serra de Monchique, and as the coast extends northward other portions of that mountain range advance to the sea, and render the shores bold and rugged, though they are not high ; they become low and level as they approach the great lagune of SetubaL This lagune is overlooked on the north-west by the Serra da Arrabida, which has an elevation of 1760 foot, and terminates at Cape F.apichel, which is 660 feet high. The shores again sink down as they approach the south side of the restuary of the Tagus; but on the other aide, north and west of Lisbon, the mountain ridges of Cintra, Mafia, Torres Vcdms, and others, with their intervening valleys, fill — - — — up the whole spas* between the Tagus and the sea. and have their chief terminatioa at the Cabo da Roca, which is nearly 2000 feet high, and is the most western point of Portugal. The peninsula of Peniche is the northern termination of this mountain mass, and the coast thence to the mouth of the Mondego is generally rugged, though it is low ; but on the north side of the Mondego the termination of the Serra de Alcoba at Cape Mondego has an elevation of 464 feet. Thence to the mouth of the Douro the shores are flat, sandy, and swampy. They afterwards become higher and rugged, but again sink down as they approach the mouth of the Minho. The whole coast of Portugal, with the exception of the :estuary of the Tagus and a few other inlet*, presents a rugged and dangerous shore. Nearly all the harbours have bars, which render most of them difficult of access even for boats, and with a breeze from the sea a terrible surf breaks along tho whole line of coast, and forbids all approach. With a south wind, which generally prevails from August to the winter months, the whole of the line of coast is exceedingly dangerous.