Porto << PAWR too >> is one of Portugal’s largest cities. The municipality of Porto has a population of 231,800. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. Porto is also called Oporto << oh PAWR toh >>. It is served by one of the country’s chief seaports and is the commercial and industrial center of northern Portugal. It lies on the Douro River, 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the Atlantic Ocean. Porto is known for its role in processing and exporting Portugal’s excellent port wines. The city also has food-processing plants, sugar refineries, textile mills, and other industries. Principal landmarks in Porto include the cathedral, which dates from the 1100’s, and the Episcopal Palace, the former residence of Porto’s bishops, built during the 1700’s. The Arrábida Bridge, one of several bridges across the Douro at Porto, is one of the longest concrete arch bridges in Europe. The University of Porto was founded in 1911.
Porto began as an ancient Roman trading community. During the 1700’s, Porto’s wine trade began to link the city closely with England. The struggle to establish a constitutional government for Portugal began in Porto in 1820.
