Apr 28 2008
About Algarve (a province in Portugal)
Algarve is one of Portugal which is located at the southern part of the country. The name Algarve comes from the Arabic word, Al-Gharb which means as The West in English. This region was conquered by the Moors for more than six hundred years. You can still see some remnants of the Moors conquests on some of the architectural structures of the province. This town has sixteen municipalities and its main towns are Portimao and Faro. The region’s administrative center is Faro; this is where the international airport is located, the Faro/Algarve Airport and its public university, the University of the Algarve.
This region is hilly but rich with valleys and coastlines. It is home of the mountain range, Monchique with an altitude of nine hundred six meters high. This region has a natural reserve, the Parke Natural da Ria Formosa which it is over one hundred seventy square kilometres that stretches along the coastline. There is a lagoon in the reserve which is the habitat for more than hundred kinds of birds. The beaches in this region are the popular destinations and during summer the population of tourists doubles. At the Cape St. Vincent, you will find the Praia da Marinha which is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. This coastline has a fifty-kilometer stretch of beaches. You can also find other popular beaches, from Praia da Luz to Armacao de Pera. And around the area of Lagos, you will find some limestone caves and is accessible through powerboat for tourists.
The main industries of Algarve are food processing and construction. They also give importance to its agriculture and horticulture. Some of its agricultural products are figs, oranges, almonds and carob beans. You will also find numerous greenhouses in this region. In the coastal area, seafood and fish are their main products. They also have sardines, cyprinids and other sea food products.