Marco de Canaveses (ˈmaɾku ðɨ kɐnɐˈvezɨʃ) is a city and municipality of the Porto district

Porto District

The District of Porto , sometimes Oporto in English, is located on the north-west coast of Portugal. The district capital is the city of Porto, the second largest city in the country...

, in northern 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...

. The city itself has a population of 9,042.

It is the birth place of Carmen Miranda

Carmen Miranda

Carmen Miranda, GCIH was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, Broadway actress and Hollywood film star popular in the 1940s and 1950s. She was, by some accounts, the highest-earning woman in the United States and noted for her signature fruit hat outfit she wore in the 1943 movie The Gang's...

.

Geography

The city of Marco Canaveses is strongly influenced by its topography, with mainly areas at altitudes between 200 and 600 meters, reaching the highest levels in Aboboreira and Montedeiras Mountains. The highest point of the county is situated at an altitude of 962 meters, in Aboboreira Mountain, which is shared by the municipalities of Marco de Canaveses, Amarante and Baião. In Montedeiras Mountain is reached a peak of 640 meters. To the north it lies the Marão Mountain, in the municipality of Amarante. The region is also traversed by two of the most important Portuguese rivers, the Douro river

Douro

The Douro or Duero is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province across northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto...

 and Tâmega river. The Douro, reaching from "Trás-os-Montes" region (interior north of Portugal), east to west course, limits the county to the south, separating it from the municipalities of Cinfães and Castelo de Paiva. The Tâmega, north to south course, limits much of the County to the west, separating it from the Municipality of Penafiel. Another river that runs along the county is the Ovelha River, reaching from the Municipality of Amarante. The City of Marco de Canaveses is located 56 km away from Porto, 18 km away from Amarante, the 19 km away from Penafiel, 18 km away from Baião and 30 km away from Cinfães.

Climate

Due to its topography, Marco de Canaveses has an unstable and markedly climate of extremes, with cold and rigorous winters and relatively hot summers. The coldest season of the year is typically long, with temperatures going often below 0°C. Fog is also a constant. At this time, daytime temperatures rarely exceed 10°C, and precipitation that results into the green landscapes of the County, may be a constant. The cold temperatures are more evident in the north places of the region, as well as in the Aboboreira and Montedeiras Mountains, where snow is common, registering sometimes freezing temperatures of -10°C. Although these temperatures can be even lower, but it's not so often. In the city center the temperatures are a bit warmer and it is not so common to snow. With prevailing winds from west and southwest quadrants, is usually offered heavy rainfall on the higher places, decreasing as the lower slopes to the valleys. During the driest months of summer, may be recorded temperatures above 30°C and can sometimes reach values near 40°C. However, pleasant days of summer may be interrupted by constant cloudy weather days and some rain. Regardless of the season, cloudy days are common, being more frequent in the days of winter. The relative humidity is quite high, ranging between 75% and 80%. The intervening days are rare, and temperature differences rather abrupt.

Parishes

The 31 parishes of Marco de Canaveses are:

• Alpendurada e Matos
• Ariz
• Avessadas
• Banho e Carvalhosa
• Constance
• Favões
• Folhada
• Fornos (city of Marco de Canaveses)
• Freixo (city of Marco de Canaveses)
• Magrelos
• Manhuncelos
• Maureles
• Paços de Gaiolo
• Paredes de Viadores
• Penha Longa
• Rio de Galinhas
• Rosem
• Sande
• Santo Isidoro
  Santo Isidoro
  Santo Isidoro is a town at Marco de Canaveses in northern Portugal....
  
  
• São Lourenço do Douro
• São Nicolau
• Soalhães
• Sobretâmega
• Tabuado
• Torrão
• Toutosa
• Tuias (city of Marco de Canaveses)
• Várzea da Ovelha e Aliviada
• Várzea do Douro
• Vila Boa de Quires
• Vila Boa do Bispo

External links

• Photos from Marco de Canaveses