Loures

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Loures

Municipal flag

Municipal coat of arms

Location

- Country

- Region

- Subregion

- District or A.R.

Mayor

Carlos Teixeira

- Party

Area

169.3 km²

Population

- Total

199,231

- Density

1,177/km²

No. of parishes

Coordinates

38º50'N 9º10'W

Municipal holiday

July 26

Website: http://www.cm-loures.pt

Loures (pron. IPA: ['lo(ou)ɾɨʃ]) is a city and a municipality to the north of Lisbon. Created on 26 July 1886 by a royal decree, it currently occupies an area of 169 km² and about 200,000 inhabitants (2001). It borders the municipalities of Odivelas, Sintra, Mafra, Arruda dos Vinhos, Vila Franca de Xira and Lisbon.

The municipality is basically divided in three areas: the rustic one, to the north (the parishes of Lousa, Fanhões, Bucelas, Santo Antão do Tojal and São Julião do Tojal), the urban one, to the south (Frielas, Loures and Santo António dos Cavaleiros) and the urban-industrial, to the east (Apelação, Bobadela, Camarate, Moscavide, Portela de Sacavém, Prior Velho, Sacavém, Santa Iria de Azóia, São João da Talha and Unhos).

In this eastern area, the ten local parishes claim to be independent from Loures, and form its own municipality set in the town of Sacavém. This struggle dates from the beginnings of the Portuguese Republic, and has a very strong support among the local population.

The municipality comprises actually (after the secession of Odivelas and six other parishes – Caneças, Famões, Olival Basto, Póvoa de Santo Adrião and Ramada – in 1997, to form itself another municipality), 18 parishes:

Apelação
Bobadela
Bucelas
Camarate
Fanhões
Frielas
Loures
Lousa
Moscavide
Portela
Prior Velho
Sacavém
Santa Iria de Azóia
Santo Antão do Tojal
Santo António dos Cavaleiros
São João da Talha
São Julião do Tojal
Unhos

From these, both Loures and Sacavém are cities, being towns Bobadela, Bucelas, Camarate, Moscavide, Santa Iria de Azóia, Santo António dos Cavaleiros and São João da Talha.