Human Geography of Portugal

Code:

GEOGR036

Acronym:

GHUPOR

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Geography

Instance: 2025/2026 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Geography
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Geography

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
GEOGR	81	study plan	2	-	6	41	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

- Develop knowledge on the socio-economic activities of Portugal and their interdependence in the geography of the land.

- Find updated information at different geographical scales of analysis.

- Increase awareness of the geographical interpretation of the great national challenges.

Learning outcomes and competences

 

1.To understand the evolution of macro-regional spatiality.

2.To construct and expand on a systemic and multi-tier structure of thought on socioeconomic processes.

3.Analyse the processes of spatiality recombination that explain the present.

4.To extend the knowledge on geographic interpretation of the largest national challenges, faced with a  context of global change.

5.To search and analyse information on different geographic scales, strengthening geographic analysis skills within an environment that encourages sharing ideas and heightens communication skills (written and spoken).

 

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Portugal Geography in geographic thought.


2. Portugal within a global and European view.


3. Historical evolution of Portuguese territory.


4. The New Regime’s territorial and stimulation policies: From the dominance of the rural to the affirmation of the urban industrial.


5. Rural Exodus, European emigration and the intensification of population movements towards coastal areas.


6. Post-Fordism: urbanization, new economy and society.


7. Urban Suytem, metropolis and medium sized cities.


8. Employment, economy and innovation.


9. New rural spaces: from the production areas to residential, leisure and consumption, areas.


10. Weighted trends and challenges for the future.

It begins with an overview, expanding the connection between socioeconomic processes and the recombination of Portugal’s spatiality and geography (objectives 1 and 3), taking into account the evolution of Portugal’s integration within the European and global context. We proceed with an exploration focused on the historical evolution of the Portuguese territory and the incipient integration of the Portuguese economic space after the fall of the Old Regime (objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4 especially). Later on, we analyse the New Regime’s territorial and stimulation policies, explaining the transition from a rural Portugal to an urban-industrial Portugal, with special emphasis on the rural exodus and intensification of population movement toward coastal areas. Finally, contents will focus on current Portugal and challenges (objectives 3 and 4). The programme correlates various levels of analysis by selecting practical cases, exploring multiple sources of information (objectives 2 and 5).

Mandatory literature

BARRETO, António (org.) ; A Situação Social em Portugal, 1960-1999, Imprensa de Ciências Sociais - Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, 2000
CAVACO, Carminda (coord.) ; Desenvolvimento Rural: Desafio e Utopia,, Centro de Estudos Geográficos da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa. , 1999
FERRÃO, João; “Portugal, Três Geografias em Recombinação: Espacialidades, Mapas Cognitivos e Identidades Territoriais”, Lusotopie 2002/2, pp. 151-158. , 2002
FERRÃO, J.; “Dinâmicas Territoriais e Trajectórias de Desenvolvimento, Portugal 1991-2001”,, Revista de Estudos Demográficos, INE, 34, pp. 17-25. , 2003
GASPAR, Jorge ; As regiões portuguesas, , DGDR, Lisboa, 1993
GASPAR, J.; D. Abreu, J. Ferrão e C. J. Butler ; Portugal nos próximos 20 anos, VI vol.: A Ocupação e a Organização do Espaço (em colab. com),, Fundação C. Gulbenkian, Lisboa., 1989
MARQUES, Teresa Sá ; Portugal na Transição do Século (XX/XXI),, Edições Afrontamento, Porto. , 2004
MEDEIROS, Carlos Alberto (dir.); Geografia de Portugal, Vol. II (Sociedade, Paisagens e Cidades) e III (Actividades económicas e espaço geográfico),, Círculo de Leitores, Lisboa., 2005-2006
MEDEIROS, Carlos Alberto ; Geografia de Portugal: Ambiente Natural e Ocupação Humana, uma Introdução,, Editorial Estampa, Lisboa., 1991
RIBEIRO, Orlando; Portugal o Mediterrâneo e o Atlântico, 4ª Ed.,, Livraria Sá da Costa, Lisboa. , 1986
RIBEIRO, Orlando; O Mediterrâneo. Ambiente e Tradição, 2ª Ed.,, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa. , 1987
RIBEIRO, Orlando; LAUTENSACH, H.; DAVEAU, Suzanne; Geografia de Portugal, Vol. I a IV,, Sá da Costa Ed., Lisboa., 1987-1991
SALGUEIRO, Teresa Barata ; A Cidade em Portugal: Uma Geografia Urbana,, Ed. Afrontamento, Lisboa. , 1992

Teaching methods and learning activities

Classes will be theoretical and practical. They will proceed by integrating teaching/learning methodologies through exploration, debate and discovery (1) by active methods (2).

1) Exploration, debate and discovery – to stimulate an active role on the students, specific cartography, documents as well as short clips will be presented. Class debate is alternated with moments of presentation, stimulating vertical as well as horizontal dialogue. A Field excursion will also take place in order to promote discovery and comprehension of process territorialisation. 

2) Active methods – developing a group assignment on a national scale, involving data collection and processing. Students must write and present a report. (50% of the evaluation).

For individual evaluation purposes, 1 written test will take place (50%).

Software

SPSS
ARCGIS - ARCMAP

keywords

Social sciences > Geography > Human geography
Social sciences > Geography > Regional geography

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	50,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	60,00
Frequência das aulas	41,00
Trabalho de campo	8,00
Trabalho de investigação	53,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Attendance of 75% of estimated classes (theory-practical).

Calculation formula of final grade

Students are expected

1) developing a group assignment on a national scale, involving data collection and processing. Students must write and present a report. (30% of the evaluation).

For individual evaluation purposes, 1 written test will take place (50% of the evaluation). 

Examinations or Special Assignments

Development of a project (practical work) in a group.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students must complete:

1) a practical assignment (50% of the assessment). This assignment must be developed with the supervision of the teaching staff.

2) A written test will be carried out (50% of the assessment).

Classification improvement

In accordance with the Assessment Regulations for the 1st cycle. 

Only the individual assessment component (the test) can be subject to classification improvement.

Observations

Classes taught in Portuguese.