Alcoutim is a town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 and a municipality

Municipalities of Portugal

In Portugal, municipality or concelho is the most stable subdivision of Portugal since the foundation of the country.Portugal has an entirely separate system of cities and towns. Cities and towns are located in municipalities, but often do not have the same boundaries, even if built-up is continuous...

 in southeastern Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 near the border with Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. The municipality has a total area of 575.32 km² and a population of 3,411 inhabitants. At the Portuguese census of 2001 it had a population of 3,770 inhabitants and was the least densely populated

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 municipality in Portugal. The municipality is limited on the north by Mértola Municipality, on the east by Huelva Province in Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, on the southeast by Castro Marim Municipality, on the southwest by Tavira Municipality and on the west by Loulé Municipality and Almodôvar Municipality. The administrative center is the town of Alcoutim

Alcoutim

Alcoutim is a town and a municipality in southeastern Portugal near the border with Spain. The municipality has a total area of 575.32 km² and a population of 3,411 inhabitants. At the Portuguese census of 2001 it had a population of 3,770 inhabitants and was the least densely populated...

, located at the extreme eastern part of the municipality on the Spanish frontier, just across the Guadiana River from the Spanish town of Sanlúcar de Guadiana

Sanlúcar de Guadiana

Sanlúcar de Guadiana is a localidad in the province of Huelva, Andalusia, Spain, situated 55 km from the city of Huelva. The inhabitants are known as Sanluqueños...

 in Huelva Province.

The Moorish

Moors

The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...

 Alcoutim Castle

Alcoutim Castle

Alcoutim Castle is a castle in Alcoutim, Faro District in southeastern Portugal. It was built in the 13th century and the castle stands in a dominant position on a hill south of Alcoutim town on the right bank of the San Marcos River, its confluence with the Guadiana River. On the opposite side of...

, located in the municipality, dates from the 14th century. http://www.castles.nl/eur/pt/al/al.html

The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the northeast corner of Faro District.

The present Mayor is Francisco Augusto Amaral, elected by the Social Democratic Party

Social Democratic Party (Portugal)

The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...

.

The municipal holiday is June 13.

Parishes

• Alcoutim
  Alcoutim (parish)
  Alcoutim is a freguesia in Alcoutim Municipality .-Main sites:*Alcoutim Castle*Roman village of Montinho das Laranjeiras*Alcoutim Old Castle*Nossa Senhora da Conceição Church...
  
  
• Giões
  Giões (Alcoutim)
  Giões is a freguesia in the municipality of Alcoutim . It has a total area of 65.95km2, 307 inhabitants and a density of 4.7hab/km2.-Main sites:*Relíquias Castle*Nossa Senhora da Oliveira Church...
  
  
• Martim Longo
  Martim Longo
  Martim Longo is a Portuguese civil parish/freguesia in the municipality/concelho of Alcoutim, on the eastern side of the Algarve, 134.14 km² in area, and with 1,384 inhabitants . The population density is 10.3 people/km².-Heritage Sites:...
  
  
• Pereiro
  Pereiro (Alcoutim)
  Pereiro is a freguesia in the municipality of Alcoutim . It has a total area of 101.25km2, 287 inhabitants and a density of 2.8hab/km2....
  
  
• Vaqueiros
  Vaqueiros (Alcoutim)
  Vaqueiros is a freguesia in the municipality of Alcoutim ....
  
  

External links

• Official website (in Portuguese)
• Photos of Alcoutim
• Alcoutim on Algarve Guidebook