Alcochete
Alcochete | |
|---|---|
Settlement | |
 View of the old part of the city of Alcochete. | |
 Flag .png) Coat of arms | |
 | |
| Country |  Portugal |
| Region | Lisbon |
| Metropolitan area | Lisbon |
| District | Setúbal |
| Area | |
• Total | 128.36 km2 (49.56 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 17,569 |
| • Density | 140/km2 (350/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+00:00 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (WEST) |
| Website | http://www.cm-alcochete.pt |
Alcochete (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐɫkuˈʃet(ɨ)]) is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,569,[1] in an area of 128.36 km².[2] The municipality is composed of three parishes and is located in Setúbal District.
The present mayor is Luís Franco, elected by the Democratic Unity Coalition.
The municipal holiday is June 24.
The largest outlet mall in the Iberian Peninsula, Freeport Designer Outlet, is just outside town. Alcochete is known for its bullfighting tradition and its proximity to the longest bridge in Europe, the Vasco da Gama Bridge.
The actual site of present-day Alcochete was already occupied during Roman times with a clay production facility. Its name is thought to derive from the Arabic word for oven for reasons not yet understood. It became a vacation site preferred by the Portuguese royalty and the future king D. Manuel I was born in the village. It has experienced major development due to the construction of the Vasco da Gama Bridge.
On January 10, 2008, Portuguese prime minister José Sócrates announced that Alcochete had been selected as the site of the new airport serving Lisbon, Portugal's capital.[3] The existing Portela Airport, which is located within the city of Lisbon itself, has become too small to handle demand. This preliminary decision will be finalised after public consultation. The location of Alcochete as the construction site of the future Lisbon Airport was confirmed by the Portuguese Government on May 8, 2008.[4]
Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 3 civil parishes (freguesias):[5]
- Alcochete
- Samouco
- São Francisco
External links
References
{{reflist}
- ^ Instituto Nacional de Estatística
- ^ Direção-Geral do Território
- ^ Portugal's new Lisbon airport to be built in Alcochete for 4.9 bln eur - PM from Forbes online, January 10, 2008
- ^ Portal do Governo
- ^ Diário da República. "Law nr. 11-A/2013, page 552 7" (pdf) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 July 2014.