Alentejo Region

Alentejo Region (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐlẽ'tɛʒu]) is one of the seven NUTS 2 regions of Portugal. It covers all of the historical Alentejo Province and part of the historical Ribatejo and Estremadura provinces.

Alentejo
Região do Alentejo
NUTS of Portugal
A typical landscape of the Alentejo
A typical landscape of the Alentejo
Etymology: além-Tejo Portuguese for beyond the Tagus or across the Tagus (note: Lezíria do Tejo is partly of the left margin of the Tagus and partly on the right margin of the Tagus)
Location of the Alentejo Region in Portugal
Location of the Alentejo Region in Portugal
Coordinates: 38.5667°N 7.9000°W / 38.5667; -7.9000
Country Portugal
CapitalÉvora
Area
 • Total31,551.2 km2 (12,182.0 sq mi)
Population
 (2011[1])
 • Total758,739 (4th)
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (WEST)
HDI (2021)0.842[2]
very high · 5th
NUTSPT15
GDP (PPP)2013 estimate
- Total€ 14.305 billion[3]
- Per capita€ 19,200[3]
GDP (nominal)2013 estimate
- Total€ 11.155 billion[4]
- Per capita€ 15,000[4]
Geographic detail from Instituto Geográfico Português (2010)
This article is about the NUTS 2 statistical region. For the cultural region, see Alentejo. For the historical province, see Alentejo Province. For the two traditional provinces into which it is divided, see Alto Alentejo Province and Baixo Alentejo Province.

The greater region is defined within Portugal by the land bordering the left bank of the river Tagus to the North and extending to the South where it borders the Algarve region. The origin of its name, "além" + "Tejo" combined as Alentejo, literally translates to "Beyond-the-Tagus". However, a large part of the subregion Lezíria do Tejo is located on the right bank of the Tagus. The Alentejo is completely located beyond the left margin of the Tagus River.

Its main cities are Évora, Elvas, Portalegre, Beja, Moura, Serpa, Sines and Santarém.

Subdivisions

The region is subdivided into five intermunicipal communities (NUTS 3 regions):

Demographics

The resident population of the Alentejo stands at around 759,000 (fourth quarter, 2008 – 2 700 less than the fourth quarter of 2007), with 49% men and 51% women. It is the least populated region in the country, representing over one third of national territory but only 7.1% of its population. It is also the region with the oldest population, 22.9% being 65 years of age or more (while the national average is 17.5%).

The population is still declining – especially in the east of the Alentejo. Locals are said to migrate from the villages to the towns and from the towns to cities beyond the Alentejo. Some migration into the Alentejo is from Northern Europeans looking to escape their overcrowded regions, though not always permanently, just for sunny holiday retreats.[5] People from China, Brazil, and mostly from (South-)Eastern Europe add to curbing population decline.

Economy

In 2006, the region had an estimated GDP per inhabitant rating of 17,200 EUR.[6] In 2018, the Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 13.1 billion euros, accounting for 6.4% of Portugal's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 21,700 euros or 72% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 73% of the EU average.[7]

Maps

References
  1. "Censos 2011 Resultados Preliminares 2011". INE.
  2. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  3. "EU Regions". Eurostat.
  4. "Regiões de Portugal". AICEP. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
  5. "Alentejo Portugal, the essence, characteristics and places". Archived from the original on 29 September 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  6. "GDP per inhabitant in 2006 ranged from 25% of the EU27 average in Nord-Est in Romania to 336% in Inner London" (PDF). Eurostat. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2009.
  7. "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Alentejo.
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