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fiogf49gjkf0d PORTUGAL IS SITUATED ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF THE
IBERIAN PENINSULA IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE. IT IS BORDERED
TO THE WEST AND TO THE SOUTH BY THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND BY
SPAIN TO THE NORTH AND EAST. THE COUNTRY IS SPLIT INTO TWO
AREAS BY THE TAGUS RIVER: THE NORTH AND SOUTH. THIS RIVER
ENTERS INTO THE COUNTRY ON THE EASTERN BORDER AND FLOWS
SOUTHWESTWARD TO LISBON'S NATURAL HARBOUR
SITUATED TO THE NORTH OF THE TAGUS RIVER ARE THE FEW
HIGHLANDS OF PORTUGAL. THESE HIGHLANDS STRETCH THROUGH TO
SPAIN. THE HIGHEST PEAK IS AT A HEIGHT OF 1993M ABOVE SEA
LEVEL AND IS LOCATED IN THE SERRA DA ESTRELA. ANOTHER
LARGE PLATEAU CALLED THE SPANISH MESETA SPREADS EASTWARDS
ALONG THE ATLANTIC SEASHORE.
TO THE SOUTH OF THE RIVER TAGUS COASTAL LOWLANDS BLEND IN
NATURALLY WITH THE SLIGHT HILLS SLOPING INLAND FORM A FLAT
COUNTRYSIDE. THESE LOWLANDS AVERAGE 152M ABOVE SEA LEVEL
AND ONLY ABOUT 2 TO 3% ARE ABOVE 396M.
THERE ARE MANY LAGOONS, LAKES AND FOREST AREAS
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THE WEST COAST CONSISTS OF
SMALL BEACHES NESTLING BETWEEN ROCKS AND OTHER BEACHES
WHICH APPEAR ENDLESS WITH GOLDEN SAND STRETCHING INLAND.
THE AZORES.
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LOCATED HALF WAY BETWEEN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA IN THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN ARE THE NINE ISLANDS THAT MAKE UP THE AZORES
ARCHIPELAGO. THE ISLANDS ARE RENOWNED FOR THEIR TRANQUILITY
AND NATURAL BEAUTY, POLLUTION IS UNKNOWN. THERE ARE ABOUT
250,000 INHABITANTS. ALL THE ISLANDS ARE HILLY OR
MOUNTAINOUS.
MADEIRA.
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THE MADEIRA GROUP OF ISLANDS CONSISTS OF THE TWO INHABITED
ISLANDS OF MADEIRA AND PORTO SANTO AND SEVERAL SMALL
UNINHABITED ISLANDS.
MADEIRA AND THE NEIGHBOURING ISLAND OF PORTO SANTO ARE
SITUATED IN THE ATLANTIC OFF THE WEST AFRICAN COAST, JUST
NORTH OF THE CANARIES. MADEIRA IS 36 MILES LONG AND 14
MILES WIDE AND HAS A POPULATION OF 300,000. PORTO SANTO
IS MUCH SMALLER, ONLY 9 MILES LONG AND 3 MILES WIDE.
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