Sines, Portugal

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Sines Municipal coat of arms
Location
- Country	Portugal
- Region	Alentejo
- Subregion	Alentejo Litoral
- District or A.R.	Setúbal
Mayor	Manuel Carvalho
- Party	CDU
Area	202.6 km²
Population
- Total	13,613
- Density	67/km²
No. of parishes	2
Coordinates	37°58'N 8°53'W
Municipal holiday	November 24
Website: http://www.mun-sines.pt/

Sines (pron. IPA: ['sinɨʃ]) is a municipality in the district of Setúbal, Portugal, with a total area of 203.0 km² and a rapidly growing population of 13,531 inhabitants. It is located at the centre of the Alentejo coast and part of the St. Vincent and Southwest Alentejo Coast Natural Park.

The present Mayor is Manuel Coelho Carvalho, elected by the Unitarian Democratic Coalition. The President of the Municipal Assembly is Francisco do Ó Pacheco, also elected by the Unitarian Democratic Coalition.

Contents 1 General info 2 Economy 3 Famous people 4 Parishes 5 External links

[edit] General info

The town has a long history going back to Roman times (then called Sinus). The castle on the cliff was built after King Pedro had reconquered the city from the Moors in 1362.

Until the early 1970's it was a sheltered fishing village with a long history of commercial relations with cities from the Mediterranean. Its large marina, along a breakwater, is the only marina between Setúbal and the Algarve.

The town is now rapidly expanding by the presence of a gigantic petrochemical complex and a deep-sea terminal for huge tankers up to 500,000 ton along the seawall, stretching 2.4 km into the sea.

The municipal holiday is November 24. Every Summer, the town hosts the Festival de Músicas do Mundo, a world music festival that brings thousands of enthusiats and musicians from all continents.

The town has also a very heterogeneous population, since it received a large amount of refugees from the Portuguese overseas colonies in the late 1970s. Foreign workers of the port and the petrochemical industry also add to this. While Sines itself is not a desirable sea resort because of pollution, relatively low temperatures and a global sense of decadence, the nearby village of Porto Covo atracts many tourists thanks to its preserved coastline and the beauty of the traditional buildings.

There is a large shortwave broadcasting station at Sines. The most remarkable antenna towers are the rotable towers looking like a big "V". [1] [2].

[edit] Economy

The economy of Sines municipality rests mainly on the petrochemical industry, hosting Portugal's largest complex of that sector. One of its refinery towers stands 234 m tall.

Product of a major boost in oil imports during the 1970s, the complex entered decline twenty years later. As of 2006, the Spanish oil company Repsol plans to instal a giant refinary in Sines. Combined to industry, the Port of Sines is another major player in the town's economy. During the 1990s, the Portuguese Government vowed to turn the seaport into "Europe's Singapore", and transferred the administration to Singapore's Port Authority. Other important activities are fishing, agriculture and services.

[edit] Famous people

Sines is the birthplace of Vasco da Gama, who was born at the castle where his father Estêvão da Gama was the local alcalde. After his return from the voyage to India, Vasco da Gama was given feudal rights over Sines.

Other famous "sinienses": Al Berto (poet, 1948-1997, born in Coimbra), Emmérico Nunes (painter, 1888-1968, born in Lisbon).

[edit] Parishes

The municipality is composed of two parishes :

• Porto Covo
• Sines

[edit] External links

• Town Hall official website

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