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The
Alentejo
region of
Portugal,
is situated in the south central region of the country
and is best known for it's
cork oak groves
and it's fast growing status of desertification
(becoming a desert) because of the shortage of rainfall
throughout the year.
The region, which is split
in to two further areas - Baixo Alentejo (Lower
Alentejo) and Alto Alentejo (the plains) covers 25% of
the country's surface area. The vast swathes of fertile,
flat land utilised for agriculture has meant the
Alentejo region is often referred
to as the 'bread basket'.
The Alentejo region's
northern border is defined by the River Tagus (Rio
Tejo) which cuts through the entire
country dividing north from south from it's border with
Spain to the Atlantic coast in Lisbon.
The Alentejo is
the largest (31,152 square kilometres) but one of the
least populated areas in Portugal and has one of the
oldest average ages of 65. |
