Continental Portugal (, ) or mainland Portugal comprises the bulk of the Portuguese Republic, namely that part on the Iberian Peninsula and so in continental Europe, having approximately 95% of the total population and 96.6% of the country's land. Mainland Portugal is therefore commonly called by residents of the Portuguese archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira the continent () in all respects including minor elements of combined governance from Lisbon, the country's capital. Before 1975, when the Portuguese territory also stretched to several now-independent states in Africa, the designation metropole () was also used.
Context The designation mainland Portugal is used to differentiate the continental territory of Portugal from its insular territory. The latter comprises the archipelagos of Madeira and Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. The Azores and Madeira are also commonly referred to as the autonomous regions (), insular Portugal () or, simply, the islands ().
Continental Portugal is divided into 18 districts. Outside of these the islands of Madeira and the Azores are the Autonomous Regions of Portugal.
The European Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics defines the geographic plurality of the mainland Portugal and the islands as the primary NUTS I territorial division (see administrative divisions of Portugal: NUTS for details).
While in modern Portugal the difference between European continental and total territory is minor (in terms of area), it mattered during the existence of the Portuguese Empire, when the distinction was more frequently made, such as in the colonisation of Brazil. Continental Portugal has an area of or 96.6% of the Portuguese national territory () and 10,912,573 inhabitants (or 95.52% of the total population of 11,424,031).
Districts
DistrictProvince(s)EU Statistical region(s) Viana do Castelo Minho Alto Minho Braga Minho AveCávado Tâmega e Sousa Porto Douro Litoral Porto Tâmega e Sousa Vila Real Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro DouroAlto Tâmega Ave Bragança Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Trás-os-Montes (majority) Douro Aveiro Beira Litoral (majority)Douro Litoral Aveiro (majority)CoimbraPorto Tâmega e Sousa Viseu Beira Alta (majority)Trás-os-Montes e Alto DouroDouro Litoral Viseu Dão Lafões (majority)DouroBeira LitoralTâmega e Sousa Guarda Beira Alta (majority)Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Beiras e Serra da Estrela (majority)Viseu Dão LafõesDouro Coimbra Beira Litoral (majority)Beira AltaBeira Baixa Coimbra Castelo Branco Beira Baixa Beira BaixaBeiras e Serra da EstrelaMédio Tejo Leiria Beira LitoralEstremadura LeiriaOeste Santarém Ribatejo (majority)Beira LitoralBeira Baixa Médio TejoLezíria do Tejo Lisbon Estremadura (majority)Ribatejo Lisbon (majority)OesteLezíria do Tejo Portalegre Alto Alentejo (majority)Ribatejo Alto Alentejo Évora Alto Alentejo Alentejo Central Setúbal EstremaduraBaixo Alentejo Setúbal PeninsulaAlentejo Litoral Beja Baixo Alentejo Baixo Alentejo (majority)Alentejo Litoral Faro Algarve
EU Statistical Regions (NUTS II)
NUTS IIDistricts (entirely or partly included) Norte Alto Minho
Cávado
Ave
Porto
Douro
Tâmega e Sousa
Alto Tâmega
Trás-os-Montes Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Aveiro (part), Guarda (part), Viseu (part), Vila Real, Bragança Centro Beira Baixa
Beiras e Serra da Estrela
Região de Aveiro
Região de Coimbra
Região de Leiria
Viseu Dão Lafões Castelo Branco, Guarda (majority)
Aveiro (majority), Coimbra, Leiria (part), Viseu (majority) Oeste e Vale do Tejo Oeste
Médio Tejo
Lezíria do Tejo Santarém, Leiria (part) Greater Lisbon
Greater LisbonLisbon (majority) Setúbal Peninsula
Setúbal PeninsulaSetúbal (part) Alentejo
Alentejo Litoral
Alentejo Central
Alto Alentejo
Baixo Alentejo Setúbal (part), Évora, Portalegre, Beja Algarve
Algarve Faro
See also Administrative divisions of Portugal Autonomous Regions of Portugal Districts of Portugal Exclusive economic zone of Portugal List of regions and sub-regions of Portugal Pluricontinentalism
References