Bragança (Portugal)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Location | ||||||
| - Country |  Portugal |
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| - Region | Norte | |||||
| - Subregion | Alto Trás-os-Montes | |||||
| - District or A.R. | Bragança | |||||
| Mayor | António Nunes | |||||
| - Party | PSD | |||||
| Area | 1,173.6 km² | |||||
| Population | ||||||
| - Total | 34,774 | |||||
| - Density | 30/km² | |||||
| No. of parishes | 49 | |||||
| Coordinates | 41º48'N 6º50'W | |||||
| Municipal holiday | August 22 |
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| Website: http://www.cm-braganca.pt | ||||||
Bragança (pron. IPA: [bɾɐ'gɐ̃sɐ] or, locally, [bɾɐ'gãsɐ]; English language: Braganza) is a city and a municipality in north-eastern Portugal and the capital of the district of Bragança, in Alto Trás-os-Montes.
The population of the municipality is 34,774 and its total area is 1,173.6 kmª.
It lies on a branch of the Sabor River south of the Culebra Mountains, 255 km northeast of Porto, 515 km from Lisbon and 22 km. from the Spanish border. The city is at an elevation of 700m.
The seat of the municipality is the city of Bragança, which consists of two parishes (Sé and Santa Maria) and has a population of about 21,000.[1]
The neighbouring municipalities are Vimioso in the southeast, Macedo de Cavaleiros in the southwest and Vinhais in the west. The city has a small airport.
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[edit] Parishes
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[edit] Climate
The climate in Bragança is influenced by the distance from the coast and the elevation. It is very similar to the continental climate of the Spanish Meseta and other European regions far from the influence of the ocean, which means long rigorous winters (even for European standards) and short hot summers. Snow in winter is very common, and it can last for several days. The high in January is around 6ºC while in August is around 28ºC. January low hovers around the freezing point. It has been known to snow in May, and winter temperatures can dip till -15ºC. The annual mean is around 10ºC. The mean total rainfall in a year is 743 mm, with an average of 123 rainy days per year and 20 snowy days per year. The year of 2005 was particularly dry in Portugal and Bragança suffered water shortages and devastating forest fires in the rural areas.
[edit] History
Originally Bragança was a Celtic city known as Brigantia, the name of a celtic goddess, it later romanized its name to the present form. Historically the city has been important as the seat of the House of Bragança, which provided the kings of Portugal from 1640 to 1910 and the emperors of Brazil from 1822 to 1889; their feudal castle (built 1187) still remains. Catherine of Bragança became the queen consort (1662) of Charles II of England. An episcopal see, Bragança was the capital of the historical Trás-os-Montes province.
[edit] Attractions
Notable landmarks in the city include the 12th-century Domus Municipalis (Portugal's oldest and largest town hall), the Renaissance cathedral, and the old town walls, which are still well preserved and look down on the river and the modern city. In the city there is a well kept museum.
[edit] Education
Bragança has a state-run technical college of higher education, the polytechnic institute - Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (Polytechnical Institute of Bragança).
[edit] Economy
Economically the region still produces olive oil, grains, chestnuts and livestock, especially sheep. In recent years agriculture has suffered a decline with the abandonment of the villages and the aging of the rural population. There are many villages with not enough children to maintain the rural schools, which are being gradually closed by the government.
Present day Bragança is a city of services with a dependence on state-run institutions like the Polytechnical Institute of Bragança and the regional hospital for jobs.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ UMA POPULAÇÃO QUE SE URBANIZA, Uma avaliação recente - Cidades, 2004 Nuno Pires Soares, Instituto Geográfico Português (Geographic Institute of Portugal)
[edit] External links
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