List of cities in Portugal

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This is a list of cities in Portugal. In Portugal, a city (Portuguese: cidade) is a honorific term given to locations that meet several criteria, such as having a minimum number of inhabitants, good infrastructures, like schools, medical care, cultural and sports facilities, or have a major historical importance. The country's demographic expansion of the 1980's prompted the elevation of several towns to city status and, currently, 151 locations in Portugal are considered a city.

In Portugal, the city is not an administrative division, therefore, a city generally does not necessarily correspond to a municipality, with the exception of the entirely urban municipalities, such as Lisbon, Porto or Funchal. Some municipalities may even contain more than one city and, on the other hand, the least populated municipalities contain no cities. Equally, a city does not necessarily correspond to a parish, the lowest level administrative division in Portugal and several cities are composed by more than one parish, however, smaller cities may be composed of just one parish. The seat, i.e., the municipal offices and services of a municipality, are usually located in its most important city or town.

A particular case is Sintra, which despite being currently one of the larger urban areas of the country, and containing two cities in its municipality, holds still the rank of vila, by wish of its elected officials.

Until 1910, a location was proclaimed city by royal charter, which happened 25 times to current Portuguese cities (royal charters were also granted to cities of the Portuguese Empire, e.g. São Paulo in 1711). During the Portuguese First Republic, the process was transferred to the Parliament, that elevated three towns to the category of city. The dictatorial Estado Novo regime proclaimed seven cities in the Portuguese mainland (as well as some more in the colonies), this time by government decree. After the Carnation revolution, proclamation of cities returned to Parliament and nowadays Portugal has 151 cities - one of the consequences being that the title no longer holds the prestige it once had.

Eight locations have been always considered cities since Portugal became an independent kingdom (de facto 1143): Braga, Coimbra, Lamego, Porto and Viseu, as well as Évora, Lisbon and Silves, which were annexed at a later date.

Contents 1 List 2 Notes 3 References 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] List

Crest	City	Municipality	Population[1]	Since
	Abrantes	Abrantes	14,775	14 June 1916
	Agualva-Cacém	Sintra	81,845	12 July 2001
	Águeda	Águeda	11,357	14 August 1985
	Albufeira	Albufeira	16,237	23 August 1986
	Alcácer do Sal	Alcácer do Sal	9,118	12 July 1997
	Alcobaça	Alcobaça	9,775	30 August 1995
	Almada	Almada	19,514	16 June 1973
	Almeirim	Almeirim	11,607	16 August 1991
	Alverca do Ribatejo	Vila Franca de Xira	29,086	9 August 1990
	Amadora	Amadora	151,853	17 September 1979
	Amarante	Amarante	9,906	14 August 1985
	Amora	Seixal	50,991	2 July 1993
	Anadia	Anadia	5,533	9 December 2004
	Angra do Heroísmo	Angra do Heroísmo	14,316	21 August 1534
	Aveiro	Aveiro	49,964	11 April 1759
	Barcelos	Barcelos		6 September 1928
	Barreiro	Barreiro	40,858	28 June 1984
	Beja	Beja	23,475	10 April 1521
	Braga	Braga	112,039	from time immemorial
	Bragança	Bragança	19,998	20 February 1464
	Caldas da Rainha	Caldas da Rainha	28,376	26 August 1927
	Câmara de Lobos	Câmara de Lobos	16,842	2 August 1996
	Caniço	Santa Cruz	11,586	9 June 2005
	Cantanhede	Cantanhede	7,066	16 August 1991
	Cartaxo	Cartaxo	10,115	30 August 1995
	Castelo Branco	Castelo Branco	31,242	20 March 1771
	Chaves	Chaves	19,307	18 March 1929
	Coimbra	Coimbra	106,754	from time immemorial
	Costa da Caparica	Almada		9 December 2004
	Covilhã	Covilhã		20 October 1870
	Elvas	Elvas	15,505	3 April 1513
	Entroncamento	Entroncamento	20,065	16 August 1991
	Ermesinde	Valongo	38,315	10 August 1990
	Esmoriz	Ovar	10,993	2 July 1993
	Espinho	Espinho	10,225	16 June 1973
	Esposende	Esposende	9,148	2 July 1993
	Estarreja	Estarreja		9 December 2004
	Estremoz	Estremoz	9,011	31 August 1926
	Évora	Évora	39,500	from time immemorial
	Fafe	Fafe	15,323	23 August 1986
	Faro	Faro		7 September 1540
	Fátima	Ourém	10,302	12 July 1997
	Felgueiras	Felgueiras	9,451	10 August 1990
	Figueira da Foz	Figueira da Foz	32,519	20 September 1882
	Fiães	Santa Maria da Feira	8,754	12 July 2001
	Freamunde	Paços de Ferreira	7,452	12 July 2001
	Funchal	Funchal	103,962	21 August 1508
	Fundão	Fundão	8,957	19 April 1988
	Gafanha da Nazaré	Ílhavo	14,021	21 July 2001
	Gandra	Paredes		26 August 2003
	Gondomar	Gondomar		16 August 1991
	Gouveia	Gouveia		1 February 1988
	Guarda	Guarda		27 November 1199
	Guimarães	Guimarães		23 June 1853
	Horta	Horta		4 July 1833
	Ílhavo	Ílhavo		9 August 1990
	Lagoa	Lagoa		12 July 2001
	Lagos	Lagos		27 January 1573
	Lamego	Lamego		from time immemorial
	Leiria	Leiria		13 June 1545
	Lisbon	Lisbon		from time immemorial
	Lixa	Felgueiras		30 August 1995
	Loulé	Loulé		1 February 1988
	Loures	Loures		9 August 1990
	Lourosa	Santa Maria da Feira		12 July 2001
	Macedo de Cavaleiros	Macedo de Cavaleiros		24 June 1999
	Machico	Machico		2 August 1996
	Maia	Maia		23 August 1986
	Mangualde	Mangualde		12 July 2001
	Marco de Canaveses	Marco de Canaveses		2 July 1993
	Marinha Grande	Marinha Grande		19 April 1988
	Matosinhos	Matosinhos		28 June 1984
	Mealhada	Mealhada		26 August 2003
	Mêda	Mêda		9 December 2004
	Miranda do Douro	Miranda do Douro		10 July 1545
	Mirandela	Mirandela		28 June 1984
	Montemor-o-Novo	Montemor-o-Novo		18 April 1988
	Montijo	Montijo		14 August 1985
	Moura	Moura		1 February 1988
	Odivelas	Odivelas		10 August 1990
	Olhão	Olhão		14 August 1985
	Oliveira de Azeméis	Oliveira de Azeméis		16 May 1984
	Oliveira do Bairro	Oliveira do Bairro		26 August 2003
	Oliveira do Hospital	Oliveira do Hospital		2 July 1993
	Ourém	Ourém		16 August 1991
	Ovar	Ovar		28 June 1984
	Paços de Ferreira	Paços de Ferreira		2 July 1993
	Paredes	Paredes		16 August 1991
	Penafiel	Penafiel		3 March 1770
	Peniche	Peniche		1 February 1988
	Peso da Régua	Peso da Régua		14 August 1985
	Pinhel	Pinhel		25 August 1770
	Pombal	Pombal		16 August 1991
	Ponta Delgada	Ponta Delgada		2 April 1546
	Ponte de Sor	Ponte de Sor		14 August 1985
	Portalegre	Portalegre		23 May 1550
	Portimão	Portimão		11 December 1924
	Porto	Porto		from time immemorial
	Porto Santo	Porto Santo		2 August 1996
	Póvoa de Santa Iria	Vila Franca de Xira		24 June 1999
	Póvoa de Varzim	Póvoa de Varzim		16 June 1973
	Praia da Vitória	Praia da Vitória		20 June 1981
	Quarteira	Loulé		24 June 1999
	Queluz	Sintra		24 July 1997
	Rebordosa	Paredes		26 August 2003
	Reguengos de Monsaraz	Reguengos de Monsaraz		9 December 2004
	Ribeira Grande	Ribeira Grande		29 June 1981
	Rio Maior	Rio Maior		14 August 1985
	Rio Tinto	Gondomar		30 August 1995
	Sabugal	Sabugal		9 December 2004
	Sacavém	Loures		4 June 1997
	Santa Comba Dão	Santa Comba Dão		24 June 1999
	Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz		2 August 1996
	Santa Maria da Feira	Santa Maria da Feira		14 August 1985
	Santana	Santana		1 January 2001
	Santarém	Santarém		24 December 1868
	Santiago do Cacém	Santiago do Cacém		16 August 1991
	Santo Tirso	Santo Tirso		14 August 1985
	São João da Madeira	São João da Madeira		28 June 1984
	São Mamede de Infesta	Matosinhos		12 July 2001
	São Salvador de Lordelo	Paredes		26 August 2003
	Seia	Seia		23 August 1986
	Seixal	Seixal		2 July 1993
	Serpa	Serpa		26 August 2003
	Setúbal	Setúbal	118,696	19 April 1860
	Silves	Silves		from time immemorial
	Sines	Sines		12 July 1997
	Tarouca	Tarouca		9 December 2004
	Tavira	Tavira		16 March 1520
	Tomar	Tomar		12 February 1844
	Tondela	Tondela		1 February 1988
	Torres Novas	Torres Novas		14 August 1985
	Torres Vedras	Torres Vedras		3 February 1979
	Trancoso	Trancoso		9 December 2004
	Trofa	Trofa		2 July 1993
	Valbom	Gondomar		9 December 2004
	Vale de Cambra	Vale de Cambra		2 July 1993
	Valongo	Valongo		10 August 1990
	Valpaços	Valpaços		24 June 1999
	Vendas Novas	Vendas Novas		2 July 1993
	Viana do Castelo	Viana do Castelo		20 January 1848
	Vila do Conde	Vila do Conde		1 February 1988
	Vila Franca de Xira	Vila Franca de Xira		28 June 1984
	Vila Nova de Famalicão	Vila Nova de Famalicão		14 August 1985
	Vila Nova de Foz Côa	Vila Nova de Foz Côa		12 July 1997
	Vila Nova de Gaia	Vila Nova de Gaia		28 June 1984
	Vila Nova de Santo André	Santiago do Cacém		26 August 2003
	Vila Real	Vila Real		20 July 1925
	Vila Real de Santo António	Vila Real de Santo António		19 April 1988
	Viseu	Viseu		from time immemorial
	Vizela	Vizela		1 September 1998

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Although the cities list doesn't indicate the cities' population, it indicates the parishes that compose them, therefore, this numbers are the sum of the population of those parishes. The population data was taken from the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities and is from 2004.

[edit] References

1. Cidades Portuguesas. Instituto Nacional de Estatística. Retrieved on 2006-07-08.
2. Municípios Portugueses. Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses. Retrieved on 2006-03-27.

[edit] See also

• Subdivisions of Portugal
• List of towns in Portugal
• List of municipalities of Portugal
• List of parishes of Portugal

[edit] External links

• National Association of Portuguese Municipalities