Geography of Portugal

Code: GEO02377L

6 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours

Scientific Area: Geography

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Sustainable Development Goals

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Igualdade de género - Alcançar a igualdade de gênero e empoderar todas as mulheres e meninas.

Trabalho digno e crescimento económico - Promover o crescimento económico sustentado, inclusivo e sustentável, emprego pleno e produtivo, e trabalho decente para todos.

Cidades e comunidades sustentáveis - Tornar as cidades e os assentamentos humanos inclusivos, seguros, resilientes e sustentáveis.

Learning Goals

- It is intended that the students learn the Geography of Portugal mainland and islands, particularly, issues that directly characterize the natural environment (topography, climate, hydrology, vegetation) and the modes of human occupation in a relationship process with the environment.
- It is intended that students know the most susceptible areas to natural hazards in Portugal, dangers implications in people activities and losses in the economy of the regions.
- communicate ideas and scientific knowledge relating to the Territory of Portugal, in order to interact in multidisciplinary teams

-The geographic position of Portugal. Significance and importance of the position in SW of Europe (between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, in transition to Africa).
- Landforms and geomorphologic dynamics.
- The climate of Portugal, originality and diversity. Implications in the environment.
- Water resources (surface and underground).- Natural hazards and most sensitive ecosystems: riparian zones, coastal ecosystems (cliff, beach and dunes, estuaries and deltas, lagoon).
- The settlement.
- The population and the territory.
- The cities ? National urban network.
- Geographic division of continental Portugal.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical classes are supported by oral presentations, documents in power points available to students in Moodle platform.
Analysis and interpretation of 1:50000 geological maps, covering geomorphologic units of the Hesperian Massif (tectonic reliefs and resistance reliefs); reliefs of the sedimentary basins and coastlines. Drawing geological sections on the 1:50000 geological maps, interpretation of the geological sections in order to understand the morphstructural units of Portugal and its landforms.
Monitoring the survey data work of the students, the literature, regarding the development of integrated themes, such as the characterization of the climate.
Realization of some exercises in order to make the application of data collection methods, handling and representation of some geographical features.
Conducting a three days field work in a area of Portugal, selected in accordance with the more relevant programmed contents taught in semester.