Algarve

The **Algarve** (from  _al-Gharb_ "the West") is the southernmost region of continental Portugal. The  capital of the Algarve is the city of Faro. There is an international airport and a public university (University of Algarve).

The present region of Algarve coincides with the old province of the same name and with the Faro district. The main economic activity in the region is tourism because its beaches and its historical buildings.

## History

The name Algarve comes from _Gharb Al-Andalus_ (, _gharb al-ʼandalus_; "The West of Al-Andalus"), or just **Al-Gharb** (,  _al-gharb_; "The West"), the name given by the Muslims of Iberia to the region to the west of Andalusia.

## Geography

Algarve has an area of . It borders with the Alentejo region (Alentejo Litoral and Baixo Alentejo subregions) to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south, and the Guadiana  river, and Andalusia (Spain), to the east.

The Algarve region is divided in two zones, each with eight municipalities:
1. _Barlavento_, the western zone, with Portimão as main city; and
1. _Sotavento_, the eastern zone, with Faro as main city.

The main mountain ranges are _Serra de Monchique_, la _Serra de Espinhaço de Cão_ and _Serra do Caldeirão_. The highest point in the region is the Fóia mountain,  high, in the _Serra de Monchique_ mountain range.

The westernmost point of the region, and of continental Europa, is Cape St. Vincent (), in the municipality of Vila do Bispo.

## Administrative division

Algarve is formed by 16 municipalities (or _concelhos_) and 67 _freguesias_.

|Map|Municipality|Population <small>(2011)</small> !! Area <small>(km²)</small> !! Population density !! _Freguesias_||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|colspan="6"|**Barlavento** zone|||||
|1|Vila do Bispo||179.06||4|
|2|Aljezur||323.50||4|
|3|Monchique||395.30||3|
|4|Lagos||212.99||4|
|5|Portimão||182.06||3|
|6|Lagoa||88.25||4|
|7|Silves||680.06||6|
|8|Albufeira||140.66||4|
|colspan="6"|**Sotavento** zone|||||
|9|Loulé||763.67||9|
|10|Faro||202.57||4|
|11|São Brás de Alportel||153.37||1|
|12|Olhão||130.86||4|
|13|Tavira||606.97||6|
|14|Alcoutim||575.36||4|
|15|Castro Marim||300.84||4|
|16|Vila Real de Santo António||61.25||3|

Among the 16 municipalities, Loulé is the largest of the region, with an área of ; this municipality and Silves border both the Alentejo region and the Atlantic Ocean. Vila Real de Santo António is the smallest municipality with an área of .

Only three municipalities do not border the ocean: Monchique, São Brás de Alportel and Alcoutim.

## Economy

Farming products of the region include fig, almond, orange, carob bean, strawberry tree and cork oak. Horticulture is also important. Fishing and aquaculture are important activities in the coastal area of Algarve.

The wines of the region are well-known. There are four wines in the region which have Protected Designation of Origin (_Denominação de Origem Controlada_ – DOC): Lagoa DOC, Lagos DOC, Portimão DOC and Tavira DOC.

Food processing, cement and construction, are the main industries.

Tourism related activities are extensive and make the bulk of Algarve's economy during summer time.

## Other websites

- Associação de Turismo do Algarve

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Algarve
- **other name**: Distrito de Faro
- **settlement type**: Administrative divisions of Portugal#NUTS, Region
- **image skyline**: File:Praia_de_Marinha.jpg
- **image caption**: <small>Algarve's typical coast (Praia da Marinha, Marinha Beach, near Lagoa, Algarve, Lagoa)</small>
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: Portugal
- **subdivision type2**: Region
- **subdivision name2**: Algarve
- **image map**: LocalRegiaoAlgarve.svg
- **map caption**: Location of the Algarve Region in relation to the national borders
- **seat**: Faro, Portugal, Faro
- **seat type**: Capital
- **area total km2**: 4996.80
- **population as of**: 2021
- **population total**: 467,495 (Ranked list of Portuguese regions#By population, 5th)
- **population density km2**: auto
- **timezone1**: Western European Time, WET
- **utc offset1**: +0
- **timezone1 dst**: Western European Summer Time, WEST
- **utc offset1 dst**: +1
- **iso code**: PT-08
- **blank name**: Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, NUTS
- **blank info**: PT15
- **blank1 name**: GDP (Purchasing power parity, PPP)
- **blank1 info**: 2019 estimate
- **blank2 name**: – Total
- **blank2 info**: €9,274 billion
- **blank3 name**: – Per capita
- **blank3 info**: €24,900
- **blank4 name**: GDP (nominal)
- **blank4 info**: 2019 estimate
- **blank name sec1**: Human Development Index, HDI (2018)
- **blank info sec1**: 0.847
 · List of Portuguese regions by Human Development Index, 4th
- **footnotes**: Statistics from Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Portugal), INE (2005); geographic detail from Instituto Geográfico Português (2010)