Monção


Monção is a town and municipality in the Alto Minho subregion of Portugal. It is situated on the southern bank of the Minho River, which serves as the natural border between Portugal and Spain. Directly across the river lies the Spanish town of Salvaterra de Miño, with which it forms the Monção–Salvaterra de Miño Eurocity. The population in 2011 was 19,230, in an area of 211.31 km2. The current mayor is the Social Democrat António Barbosa. The municipal holiday is March 12.
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Etymology

According to the linguist José Pedro Machado, the name Monção comes from the Latin montianus, which means mountainous, or of the mountain.
However, according to other authors, such as C. Clark and Dorothy Quillinan, the name comes from the medieval Latin name Mons Sanctum, meaning “Holy Mountain,” which in turn would have been a translation of the settlement’s ancient name, Orosion, which would have been used by the Greeks and later by the Suebi.
Until January 1935, Monção was also spelt as Monsão.
In neighbouring Spain, amongst older generations, Monção is known as Monzón, reflecting a direct translation of the Portuguese word monção, which also means “monsoon.”

Geography

Climate

Monção has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters and hot dry summers. Although short, the summer season is dry enough to avoid being classified has a humid subtropical climate or an oceanic climate like nearby Vigo.

Administration

Administrative subdivisions

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 24 civil parishes :
  • Abedim
  • Anhões e Luzio
  • Barbeita
  • Barroças e Taias
  • Bela
  • Cambeses
  • Ceivães e Badim
  • Lara
  • Longos Vales
  • Mazedo e Cortes
  • Merufe
  • Messegães, Valadares e Sá
  • Monção e Troviscoso
  • Moreira
  • Pias
  • Pinheiros
  • Podame
  • Portela
  • Riba de Mouro
  • Sago, Lordelo e Parada
  • Segude
  • Tangil
  • Troporiz e Lapela
  • Trute

Notable people