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ALGARVE, or ALGARVES

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 599 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ALGARVE, or ALGARVES , an See also:ancient See also:kingdom and See also:province in the extreme S. of See also:Portugal, corresponding with the See also:modern administrative See also:district of See also:Faro, and bounded on the. N. by See also:Alemtejo, E. by the See also:Spanish province of See also:Huelva, and S. and W. by the See also:Atlantic Ocean. Pop. (1900) 255,191; See also:area, 1937 sq. m. The greatest length of the province is about 85 m. from E. to W.; its See also:average breadth is about 22 M. from N. to S. The Serra de Malhao and the Serra de See also:Monchique extend in the See also:form of a See also:crescent across the See also:northern See also:part of the province, and, sweeping to the See also:south-See also:west, terminate in the lofty promontory of Cape St See also:Vincent, the south-west extremity of See also:Europe. This headland is famous as the See also:scene of many See also:sea-fights, notably the defeat inflicted on the Spanish See also:fleet in See also:February 1797 by the See also:British under See also:Admiral Jervis, afterwards See also:Earl St Vincent. Between the mountainous tracts in the See also:north and the See also:southern See also:coast stretches a narrow See also:plain, watered by numerous See also:rivers flowing southward from the hills. The coast is fringed for 30 M. from Quarteira to See also:Tavira, with See also:long sandy islands, through which there are six passages, the most important being the See also:Barra Nova, between Faro and See also:Olhao. The navigable See also:estuary of the See also:Guadiana divides Algarve from Huelva, and its tributaries See also:water the western districts. From the Serra de Malhao flow two streams, the See also:Silves and Odelouca, which unite and enter the Atlantic below the See also:town of Silves. In the hilly districts the roads are See also:bad, the See also:soil unsuited for cultivation, and the inhabitants few.

Flocks of goats are reared on the See also:

mountain-sides. The level See also:country along the southern coast is more fertile, and produces in abundance grapes, See also:figs, oranges, lemons, See also:olives, almonds, aloes, and even plantains and See also:dates. The See also:land is, however, not well suited for the See also:production of cereals, which ire mostly imported from See also:Spain. On the coast the See also:people gain their living in See also:great measure from the See also:fisheries, See also:tunny and sardines being caught in considerable quantities. See also:Salt is also made from sea-water. There is no manufacturing or See also:mining See also:industry of any importance. The harbours are bad, and almost the whole See also:foreign See also:trade is carried on by See also:ships of other nations, although the inhabitants of Algarve are reputed to be the best See also:seamen and fishermen of Portugal. The See also:chief exports are dried See also:fruit, See also:wine, salt, tunny, sardines and anchovies. The only railway is the See also:Lisbon-Faro See also:main See also:line, which passes north-eastward from Faro, between the Monchique and Malhao ranges. Faro (11,789), See also:Lagos (8291), Louie (22,478), Monchique (7345), Olhao (10,009), Silves (9687) and Tavira (12,175), the chief towns, are described in See also:separate articles. The name of Algarve is derived from the Arabic, and signifies a land lying to the west. The See also:title " See also:king of Algarve," held by the See also:kings of Portugal, was first assumed by See also:Alphonso III., who captured Algarve from the See also:Moors in 1253.

End of Article: ALGARVE, or ALGARVES

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