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Home > Travel Europe > Europe Destinations > Porto
Porto
Europe is one of the five inhabited traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the southeast by the waterways adjoining the Mediterranean to and including the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains. On the east, Europe is divided from Asia by the water divide of the Ural Mountains and by the Caspian Sea. Europe is the world's second-smallest continent in terms of area and third-largest continent after Asia and Africa in population.
Porto, population 263,000 in 15 parishes, with about 1,600,000 in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Porto, is Portugal's second city. Porto is the core of a large northern Atlantic conurbation and one of the most industrialized districts of Portugal.
One of Portugal's most internationally famous products, Port wine, was named after the city because it was originally shipped from the area or, more precisely, from Vila Nova de Gaia, a city just across the river which belongs to the same conurbation. Only wine produced in the Douro demarcated region, an area inland of Porto along the Douro river, can be labelled as Port wine. The country of Portugal was not directly named after this city. The modern name of Portugal comes from the Latin name of the County of Portus Cale which in turn got its name from the Latin name of Porto. Porto means port in Portuguese.
Porto is the cultural and administrative center of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Porto metropolitan area, and Greater Porto NUTS, Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics III sub region capital, in Norte region. Porto is well known for its enterprising spirit, characteristic culture, people, and local cuisine. The city proper is sometimes referred to as Capital do Norte, or Capital of the North. In fact the city is today the capital of Norte, a NUTS II region which covers entire northern Portugal. Its people are noted throughout the country for its typical Nortenho accent.
A city known for its historic myths and traditions, scenic beauty, cooperative people and luxurious hotels and cottages, Porto is one of the favorite holiday destinations for most of the vacation lovers.
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