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Póvoa do Varzim

Póvoa de Varzim
Municipality
Clockwise from top: Nova Póvoa, Rua Santos Minho, Touro, the City Park, Lagoa Beach, Senhora das Dores Church, and Praça do Almada.
Flag of Póvoa de Varzim
Flag
Coat of arms of Póvoa de Varzim
Coat of arms
Motto: Ala-arriba!  (Portuguese)
"Go upwards!"
Póvoa de Varzim is located in Portugal
Póvoa de Varzim
Póvoa de Varzim
Location in Portugal
Coordinates: 41°22′48″N 8°45′39″W / 41.38000°N 8.76083°W / 41.38000; -8.76083Coordinates: 41°22′48″N 8°45′39″W / 41.38000°N 8.76083°W / 41.38000; -8.76083
Country  Portugal
Region Norte
Subregion Grande Porto
District Porto
Roman control c. 138 BC
Fiefdom 1033
Municipal charter March 9, 1308
Government
 • Type City council and Assembly
 • Mayor Aires Pereira (PSD)
 • Assembly president Afonso Pinhão Ferreira (PSD)
Area
 • Total 82.1 km2 (31.7 sq mi)
Elevation 190 m (620 ft)
Highest elevation 202 m (663 ft)
Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 63,408
 • Density 770/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Poveiro, Poveira (Povoan)
Time zone WET (UTC0)
 • Summer (DST) WEST (UTC)
Postal code 4490-000 — 4490-999, 4494-909, 4495-001 — 4495-613, 4496-903, 4750-010 — 4750-554
Area code(s) 252
Municipal Holiday June 29, St. Peter Festival
Website www.cm-pvarzim.pt

Póvoa de Varzim (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpɔvwɐ ðɨ vɐɾˈzĩ], locally [ˈpɔβwə ðɨ βəɾˈzĩŋ]), also spelled Povoa de Varzim, is a Portuguese city in Northern Portugal and sub-region of Greater Porto. It sits in a sandy coastal plain, a cuspate foreland, halfway between the Minho and Douro rivers. The population of the municipality was 63,408 at the time of the 2011 census. According to the 2001 census, there were 63,470 inhabitants, with 42,396 living in the city proper. The city expanded, southwards, to Vila do Conde, and there are about 100,000 inhabitants in the urban area alone. It is the seventh-largest urban agglomeration in Portugal and the third largest in Northern Portugal.

Permanent settlement in Póvoa de Varzim dates back to around four to six thousand years ago; around 900 BC, unrest in the region led to the establishment of Cividade de Terroso, a fortified city, which developed maritime trade routes with the civilizations of classical antiquity. Modern Póvoa de Varzim emerged after the conquest by the Roman Republic of the city by 138 BC, fishing and fish processing units soon developed, which turned out to be the foundations of the local economy. By the 11th century, the fish industry and fertile farmlands were the economic base of a feudal lordship and Varzim was fiercely disputed between the local overlords and the early Portuguese kings, which resulted in the establishment of the present day's municipality in 1308 and being subdued to monastic power some years later. Póvoa de Varzim's importance reemerged with the Age of Discovery due to its shipbuilders and merchants proficiency and wealth, who traded around the globe in complex trade routes. By the 17th century, the fish processing industry rebounded and, some time later, Póvoa became the dominant fishing port in northern Portugal.


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