| The
Rio Tejo (River Tagus) is the longest river
in
Portugal, flowing a total of 1,038 kilometres. The
Rio Tejo's source is in Spain, rising out of
the Albarracin Mountains. The Tejo runs only for 275
kilometres in
Portugal and empties out in to the
Atlantic Ocean at
Lisbon.
The Tejo forms part of the
border between Spain and Portugal and then heads out
towards Vila Velha Rodeo before it snakes towards the
ocean. The Tejo has many dams both in Spain and
Portugal. While the dams in Spain are to provide
drinking water for
Lisbon, those in
Portugal are used to
harness electricity. However these dams to help to
regulate the river during the rainy season.
One of the Tejo's tributaries, the
Rio Zêzere
joins at
Constância and
after Castle Almourol a few kilometres south the river
opens out onto a large alluvial plane which is still
prone to flooding. The Tejo lends it's name to two
regions which border it's banks -
Alentejo, to the south
and Ribatejo to the north. |
