Palmela

Palmela
Municipality

Flag
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 38°40′N 8°58′W / 38.667°N 8.967°W / 38.667; -8.967Coordinates: 38°40′N 8°58′W / 38.667°N 8.967°W / 38.667; -8.967
Country  Portugal
Region Lisbon
Subregion Península de Setúbal
Metropolitan area Lisbon
District Setúbal
Parishes 4
Government
 • President Ana Teresa Vicente (CDU)
Area
 • Total 465.12 km2 (179.58 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 62,831
 • Density 140/km2 (350/sq mi)
Time zone WET/WEST (UTC+0/+1)
Website http://www.cm-palmela.pt

Palmela (Portuguese pronunciation: [pɐɫˈmɛlɐ]) is a town and a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 62,831,[1] in an area of 465.12 km².[2]

The municipality is located in Setúbal District, about 25 km (16 mi) south of Lisbon. The municipal holiday is 1 June.

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 4 civil parishes (freguesias):[3]

General information

View of Palmela, with the Municipality building (foreground) and castle uphill.
Castle of Palmela and surrounding landscape.

The town's name comes from its Roman founder, Cornelius Palma (Palmella). Palmela, once a fortress, was conquered by the Portuguese in the 12th century. A semi-rural town, it is located up a hill in the Arrábida area, right in the middle of Portugal's biggest urban area. Many people are moving in from big cities like Lisbon. Wild fires in the region are a threat to the environment.

The castle, Castelo de Palmela, offers a unique view over the whole region of the Setúbal Peninsula, Lisbon, and the Atlantic Coast. It was a strategic place in past centuries, and today it is still a main juncture of Portugal's road and rail networks.

Palmela is home to many multinational industrial plants like Volkswagen and Coca-Cola, and a significant number of foreign families live in the area. The local radio often broadcasts in Ukrainian.

Palmela's traditional products are the wine, which has achieved international awards in several festivals like Bordeaux's, and the Queijo de Azeitão (Azeitão's cheese). There are several festivals dedicated to these products, the most famous being the Festa das Vindimas (Vines' Festival) and the Festival do Queijo, Pão e Vinho (Festival of Cheese, Bread and Wine).

Palmela is the birthplace of the Portuguese explorer Hermenegildo Capelo. Some other famous individuals such as Hans Christian Andersen were briefly hosted there.

Economy

The municipality is famous for its production of fruit and wine.

In the 1990s, the joint-venture Volkswagen-Ford AutoEuropa vehicle production plant opened, to produce the Mk1 MPV sold under three marques: Volkswagen Sharan, SEAT Alhambra and Ford Galaxy. After Ford left the joint venture, the plant has since continued to produce the Volkswagen and SEAT products, and added the Volkswagen Eos, Volkswagen Scirocco and Taigun.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  2. ↑ Direção-Geral do Território
  3. ↑ Diário da República. "Law nr. 11-A/2013, pages 552 87-88" (pdf) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 29 July 2014.

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