Continental Portugal

Continental Portugal

Continental Portugal is the big part of Portugal. It is on the Iberian Peninsula in continental Europe. Most people in Portugal, about 95%, live here. The islands of Azores and Madeira are also part of Portugal, but people there often call the mainland just “the continent.”

Lisbon, the capital city, is in Continental Portugal. It helps lead the whole country. Before 1975, Portugal included lands in Africa, but now those are independent countries. At that time, people called Continental Portugal the metropole, meaning the main part of the country.

Continental Portugal is divided into 18 districts. These districts help organize the land and its people. The mainland covers most of Portugal’s land, about 96.6% of it.

People from the islands of Madeira and the Azores sometimes call the mainland “the continent.” This is because they live on islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

Continental Portugal is very important to the country. It has many cities, beautiful lands, and most of Portugal’s people. The islands of Madeira and the Azores are special parts of Portugal too, called the autonomous regions.