Douro (intermunicipal community)

Map showing the location of the Douro subregion

The Comunidade Intermunicipal do Douro is an administrative division in Portugal. It replaced the Comunidade Urbana do Douro, created in 2004.[1] It takes its name from the Douro River. The seat of the intermunicipal community is Vila Real. Douro comprises parts of the former districts of Bragança, Guarda, Vila Real and Viseu. The population in 2011 was 205,157,[2] in an area of 4,031.58 km².[3]

Douro is also a NUTS3 subregion of Norte Region. The subregion Douro covers the same area as the intermunicipal community, but including the municipalities Murça (Alto Trás-os-Montes intermunicipal community), and excluding the municipality Vila Flor. As of 2011, the subregion had a population of 205,902[2] and a total area of 4,108 km².[3]

Its economic activity is largely centered on the production of wine, particularly port, and also non-fortified Douro wine from the Douro DOC wine region. The entire region is mountainous and crossed by steep valleys.

Map showing the location of the Douro intermunicipal community (in yellow in the north)

Municipalities

The CIM Douro is composed of 19 municipalities:[4]

MunicipalityPopulation (2011)[2]Area (km²)[3]NUTS III region
Murça5,952189.37Alto Trás-os-Montes
Alijó11,942297.60Douro
Armamar6,297117.24Douro
Carrazeda de Ansiães6,373279.24Douro
Freixo de Espada à Cinta3,780244.14Douro
Lamego26,691165.42Douro
Mesão Frio4,43326.65Douro
Moimenta da Beira10,212219.97Douro
Penedono2,952133.71Douro
Peso da Régua17,13194.86Douro
Sabrosa6,361156.92Douro
Santa Marta de Penaguião7,35669.28Douro
São João da Pesqueira7,874266.11Douro
Sernancelhe5,671228.61Douro
Tabuaço6,350133.86Douro
Tarouca8,046100.08Douro
Torre de Moncorvo8,572531.56Douro
Vila Nova de Foz Côa7,312398.15Douro
Vila Real51,850378.80Douro
Total205,1574,031.58

Geography

The main rivers are Douro River, Corgo River, Tua River and Sabor River. There is an airport at Vila Real: Aerodromo de Vila Real/Douro [VRL]. The Douro railway line was completed in 1887. The narrow gauge branch lines in the area (such as the Corgo line) are now all closed.

The main monuments are the cathedral and Mateus Palace in Vila Real, and the Remedios and Sé/cathedral in Lamego. The Alto Douro Wine Region and the Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of the Côa Valley are both classified by UNESCO as heritage sites.

The grape vine terraces in the Douro valley

The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro is situated in Vila Real.

References

  1. ↑ CM Vila Nova de Foz Côa
  2. 1 2 3 Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  3. 1 2 3 Direção-Geral do Território
  4. ↑ "Law nr. 75/2013" (pdf). Diário da República (in Portuguese). Assembly of the Republic (Portugal). Retrieved 18 August 2014.

Coordinates: 41°18′N 7°45′W / 41.300°N 7.750°W / 41.300; -7.750

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