Ribatejo is a historic province (or natural region) of Portugal, established by the administrative reform of 1936 through the excision of 22 municipalities previously belonging to the province of Estremadura. It persisted until the 1970s, after the country's administrative organization as set out in the 1976 constitution did not include the provinces.
Constância
Coruche
Fátima
Pereiro
Rio Maior
Santarém
Tomar
Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park
Paul de Boquilobo Nature
Reserve
By car
On the various motorways that cross the region: A1, A8,
A13, A15 and A23.
by bus
By the Tejo road.
As a province, it included 23 municipalities: 2 from the district of
Lisbon, 2 from the district of Setúbal, 1 from the district of
Portalegre and the entire district of Santarém (except the
municipalities of Mação and Ourém). In 1945, the municipality of
Entroncamento was created from areas that until then belonged to the
municipalities of Torres Novas and Vila Nova da Barquinha. The region
then looks like this:
District of Santarém: Abrantes, Alcanena,
Almeirim, Alpiarça, Benavente, Cartaxo, Chamusca, Constância, Coruche,
Entroncamento, Ferreira do Zêzere, Golegã, Rio Maior, Salvaterra de
Magos, Santarém, Sardoal, Tomar, Torres Novas, Vila Nova da Barquinha .
District of Lisbon: Azambuja, Vila Franca de Xira.
District of
Setúbal: Alcochete, Montijo and Moita
Its former territory is
currently divided into the regions of Alentejo, Centro and Área
Metropolitana de Lisboa, and until 2002 it was the central nucleus of
the extinct region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley. In terms of subregions,
it is spread across Greater Lisbon (Vila Franca de Xira municipality)
and also throughout the entire Lezíria do Tejo sub-region and almost all
of the Middle Tagus (except the municipalities of Mação, Ourém).
From a geographical point of view, Ribatejo is divided into three
natural regions: Lezíria, Bairro and Charneca.
The Lezíria
comprises the floodplain area flooded by the Tagus River and adjacent
land, and includes alluvial soils, of excellent quality, in which the
vineyard displays all its vigour. In these fertile lands, in addition to
vineyards, there are plantations of cereals, melons, tomatoes and
excellent pastures for cattle and horses.
The neighborhood appears on
the right bank of the Tagus (North of Ribatejo), with a slightly
accentuated relief, adjacent and of sandstone, limestone and clay
formations whose tones are varied, ranging from whitish to brownish, red
and orange. In these clayey soils there are shrubby and tree crops in
which the olive tree prevails, which coexists closely with the vine,
wheat and corn.
Charneca extends from the left bank of the Tagus
River to the Alentejo (South Ribatejo). There are sandy soils, including
vast areas of cork oak forests, as well as eucalyptus and pine trees.
However, it is also possible to observe, in more favorable places, the
cultivation of cereals and vines, as well as rice in the more irrigated
areas.
Ribatejo campinos from Lezíria and Charneca wear a white
shirt, red vest, blue trousers and cape, white socks and a green cap
with a red tassel as formal attire. Ribatejo campinos in the
neighborhood wear a white shirt, black vest, black pants and cape, white
stockings and black cap as formal attire.