Editing Geography of Portugal (section)

==Physical==
[[File:Serra da Estrela II Portugal.jpg|thumb|235px|[[Serra da Estrela]], the highest mountain range in continental Portugal and popular tourist winter destination]]
[[File:Lagoa das Furnas, ilha de São Miguel, Arquipélago dos Açores, Portugal.JPG|thumb|235px|The volcanic lake of Lagoa das Furnas, on the island of [[São Miguel Island|São Miguel]]]]

Portugal is located on the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula and plateau, that divides the inland [[Mediterranean Sea]] from the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. It is located on the Atlantic coast of this plateau and crossed by several rivers which have their origin in Spain. Most of these rivers flow from east to west disgorging in the Atlantic; from north to south, the primary rivers are the [[Minho River|Minho]], [[Douro River|Douro]], [[Mondego River|Mondego]], [[Tagus River|Tagus]] and the [[Guadiana River|Guadiana]].<ref name="ME & FR 612">Eldridge M. Moores and Rhodes Whitmore Fairbridge (1997), p.612</ref>

===Coastline===
[[File: Portugal Exclusive Economic Zone.png|thumb|left|Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone]]

The Portuguese continental shelf has an area of {{convert|28000|km2}}, although its width is variable from {{convert|150|km}} in the north to {{convert|25|km}} in the south.<ref name="ME & FR 612"/> Its strong relief is marked by deep submarine canyons and the continuation of the main rivers. The Estremadura Spur separates the Iberian Abyssal and Tagus Abyssal Plains, while the continental slope is flanked by sea-mounts and abuts against the prominent Gorringe Bank in the south.<ref name="ME & FR 612"/> Currently, the Portuguese government claims jurisdiction to a sea depth of {{convert|200|m|adj=off}}, or to the depth of exploitation.

The Portuguese coast is extensive; in addition to approximately {{convert|943|km}} along the coast of [[continental Portugal]], the archipelagos of the Azores (667&nbsp;km) and Madeira (250&nbsp;km) are primarily surrounded by rough cliff coastlines. Most of these landscapes alternate between rough cliffs and fine sand beaches; the region of the [[Algarve]] is recognized for its sandy beaches popular with tourists, while at the same time its coastline around [[Cape St. Vincent]] is well known for steep and forbidding cliffs. An interesting feature of the Portuguese coast is the [[Ria Formosa]] with some sandy islands and a mild and pleasant climate characterized by warm, but not very hot, summers and generally mild winters.

In contrast, the [[Ria de Aveiro]] coast (near [[Aveiro, Portugal|Aveiro]], referred to as ''"The Portuguese Venice"'') is formed by a [[River delta|delta]] approximately {{convert|45|km}} long with a maximum width of {{convert|11|km}}, rich in fish and seabirds. Four main channels flow through several islands and [[islet]]s at the mouth of the [[Vouga River|Vouga]], [[Antuã River|Antuã]], [[Boco River|Boco]], and Fontão Rivers. Since the 16th century, this formation of narrow headlands formed a lagoon, which allowed the formation and production of [[salt]]. It was also recognized by the Romans, whose forces exported its salt—then a precious resource—to Rome.

The Azores are sprinkled with both black-sand and boulder-lined beaches; only as a rare exception are there white-sand beaches (such as on the island of [[Santa Maria Island (Azores)|Santa Maria]] in [[Almagreira (Vila do Porto)|Almagreira]]). The island of [[Porto Santo Island|Porto Santo]] has one of the few extensive dune beaches in Portugal, located in the archipelago of Madeira.

Tidal gauges along the Portuguese coast have identified a {{convert|1|-|1.5|mm}} rise in sea levels, causing large estuaries and inland deltas in some major rivers to overflow.<ref name="ME & FR 612"/>

As a result of its maritime possessions and long coastline, Portugal has an [[Portugal EEZ|Exclusive Economic Zone]] of {{convert|1,727,408|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}. This is the third largest EEZ of all countries in the [[European Union]] and the 20th in the world. This sea-zone, over which Portugal exercises special territorial rights over the economic exploration and use of marine resources, encircles an area of {{convert|1727408|km2}} (divided as: [[Continental Portugal]] 327,667&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, [[Azores|Azores Islands]] 953,633&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, [[Madeira|Madeira Islands]] 446,108&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>).

===Continent===
{{Main|Geology of the Iberian Peninsula}}
[[File:Hercynian structures Europe-en.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|Tectonic structures of Europe, showing Iberia and the three ''"Portuguese"'' tectonic regions (far left)]]
[[File:Portugal satellite image.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Hot, dry conditions sparked dozens of devastating wildfires in northern and central Portugal and central Spain in the summer of 2003. By the time this image was taken on January 19, 2004, the scars had begun to fade in areas, though the scars in Central Portugal and across the border in Spain are still dark red in the false-color image.]]
The Portuguese territory came into existence during the history of [[Gondwana]] and became aligned with [[Europe]]an landforms after the super-continent [[Pangea]] began its slow separation into several smaller plates. The [[Iberian plate]] was formed during the [[Cadomian Orogeny]] of the late Neoproterozoic (about 650-550&nbsp;[[Annum|Ma]]), from the margins of the [[Gondwana]] continent. Through collisions and [[Accretion (geology)|accretion]] a group of [[island arc]]s (that included the Central Iberian Plate, Ossa-Morena Plate, South Portuguese Plate) began to disintegrate from Gondwana (along with other European fragments). These plates never separated substantially from each other since this period.{{sfn|López-Guijarro|Armendáriz|Quesada|Fernández-Suárez|2008}} By the [[Mesozoic]], the three ''"Portuguese plates"'' were a part of the Northern France [[Armorican Massif|Armoric Plate]] until the [[Bay of Biscay]] began to separate. Following the separation of the '''Iberian Abyssal Plain''', [[Iberia]] and [[Europe]] began to drift progressively from [[North America]], as the Mid-Atlantic fracture zone pulled the three plates away from the larger continent. Eventually, Iberia collided with southern France attaching the region into a [[peninsula]] of Europe (during the [[Cenozoic]]). Since the late [[Oligocene]], the Iberian plate has been moving as part of the Eurasian plate, with the boundary between Eurasia and Africa situated along the [[Azores–Gibraltar Transform Fault|Azores–Gibraltar fracture zone]].{{Sfn|Srivastava|Schouten|Roest|Klitgord|1990}}{{Sfn|Le Pichon|Sibuet|1971}}{{Sfn|Le Pichon|Sibuet|Francheteau|1977}}{{Sfn|Sclater|Hellinger|Tapscott|1977}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Grimaud |first1=S. |last2=Boillot |first2=G. |last3=Collette |first3=B.J. |last4=Mauffret |first4=A. |last5=Miles |first5=P.R. |last6=Roberts |first6=D.B. |title=Western extension of the Iberian-European plate boundary during the Early Cenozoic (Pyrenean) convergence: A new model |journal=Marine Geology |date=January 1982 |volume=45 |issue=1–2 |pages=63–77 |doi=10.1016/0025-3227(82)90180-3 |bibcode=1982MGeol..45...63G }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Olivet |first1=J.L. |last2=Auzende |first2=J.M. |last3=Beuzart |first3=P. |title=Western extension of the Iberian-European plate boundary during the Early Cenozoic (Pyrenean) convergence: A new model — Comment |journal=Marine Geology |date=September 1983 |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=237–238 |doi=10.1016/0025-3227(83)90078-6 |bibcode=1983MGeol..53..237O }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Grimaud |first1=S. |last2=Boillot |first2=G. |last3=Collette |first3=B.J. |last4=Mauffret |first4=A. |last5=Miles |first5=P.R. |last6=Roberts |first6=D.B. |title=Western extension of the Iberian-European plate boundary during the Early Cenozoic (Pyrenean) convergence: A new model — Reply |journal=Marine Geology |date=September 1983 |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=238–239 |doi=10.1016/0025-3227(83)90079-8 |bibcode=1983MGeol..53..238G }}</ref>{{Sfn|Olivet|Bonnin|Beuzart|Auzende|1984}}{{Sfn|Srivastava|Schouten|Roest|Klitgord|1990}}{{Sfn|Savostin|Sibuet|Zonenshain|Le Pichon|1986}}

The Iberian peninsula, defined by its coastline, is due to a fragment of the [[Variscan orogeny|Variscan]] tectonic fracture zone, the [[Hesperian Massif|Iberian-Hesperian Massif]], which occupies the west-central part of the plateau.<ref name="ME & FR 612"/> This formation is crossed by the [[Central System]], along an east-northeast to west-southwest alignment, parallel to the European [[Baetic Chain]] (an aspect of the [[Geology of the Alps|Alpine Chain]]).<ref name="ME & FR 612"/> The Central Cordillera is itself divided into two blocks, while three main river systems drain the differing geomorphological terrains:<ref name="ME & FR 612"/> 
* the '''Northern Meseta''' (with a mean altitude of {{convert|800|m}}) is drained by the [[Douro River]] (running east to west);
* the '''Southern Meseta''' (within a range of {{convert|200|to|900|m}} altitude) is drained by the [[Tagus River]] (running east to west) from Spain, and the [[Guadiana River]] (running north to south), comprising the Lower Tagus and Sado Basins.

To the north the landscape is mountainous in the interior areas with plateaus, cut by four breakings lines that allow the development of more fertile agricultural areas.

The south down as far as the [[Algarve]] features mostly rolling plains with a climate somewhat warmer and drier than the cooler and rainier north. Other major rivers include the [[Douro]], the [[Minho River|Minho]] and the [[Guadiana]], similar to the Tagus in that all originate in Spain. Another important river, the [[Mondego River|Mondego]], originates in the [[Serra da Estrela]] (the highest mountains in mainland Portugal at 1,993&nbsp;m). A full list of rivers is available in [[List of rivers of Portugal]].

No large natural [[lake]]s exist in Continental Portugal, and the largest inland water surfaces are dam-originated [[reservoir]]s, such as the [[Alqueva Reservoir]] with {{convert|250|km2}}, the largest{{citation needed|date=September 2014}} in Europe. However, there are several small freshwater [[lake]]s in Portugal, the most notable of which are located in [[Serra da Estrela]], Lake Comprida (''Lagoa Comprida'') and Lake Escura (''Lagoa Escura''), which were formed from ancient [[glacier]]s. Pateira de Fermentelos is a small natural lake near [[Aveiro, Portugal|Aveiro]], it is one of the largest natural lakes in the Iberian Peninsula and is rich in wildlife. In the [[Azores]] archipelago lakes were formed in the caldera of extinct volcanoes. [[Lagoa do Fogo]] and [[Lagoa das Sete Cidades]] (two small lakes connected by a narrow way) are among the site lakes in [[São Miguel Island]].

Lagoons in the shores of the Atlantic exist. For instance, the Albufeira Lagoon and [[Lagoa de Óbidos|Óbidos Lagoon]] (near [[Foz do Arelho]], [[Óbidos, Portugal|Óbidos]]).

===Archipelagos===

In addition to continental Europe, Portugal consists of two Autonomous Regions in the Atlantic Ocean, consisting of the archipelagos of [[Madeira]] and [[Azores]]. Madeira is located on the African Tectonic Plate, and comprises the main island of Madeira, Porto Santo and the smaller Savage Islands. The Azores, which are located between the junction of the African, European and North American Plates, straddle the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]]. There are nine islands in this archipelago, usually divided into three groups (Western, Central and Eastern) and several smaller Formigas (rock outcroppings) located between São Miguel and Santa Maria Islands. Both island groups are [[Volcano|volcanic]] in nature, with historic volcanology and seismic activity persisting to the present time. In addition, there are several submarine volcanos in the Azores (such as [[Dom João de Castro Bank]]), that have erupted historically (such as the Serrata eruption off the coast of [[Terceira]] Island). The last major volcanic event occurred in 1957-58 along the western coast of Faial Island, which formed the Capelinhos Volcano. Seismic events are common in the Azores.
The Azores are occasionally subject to very strong [[earthquake]]s, as is the continental coast. [[Wildfire]]s occur mostly in the summer in mainland Portugal and extreme weather in the form of strong winds and floods also occurs mainly in winter. The Azores are occasionally stricken by tropical cyclones such as [[Hurricane Jeanne (1998)]] and [[Hurricane Gordon (2006)]].