Vagos

Vagos (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvaɣuʃ] (listen)) is a town and a municipality in Aveiro District, belonging to Centro Region of Portugal. The district capital which goes by the same name, Aveiro, is the nearest largest city to Vagos. The population in 2011 was 22,851,[1] in an area of 164.92 km².[2] It had 17,204 eligible voters.

Vagos
Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Vagos
Flag
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 40°33′N 8°40′W
Country Portugal
RegionCentro
Intermunic. comm.Região de Aveiro
DistrictAveiro
Parishes8
Government
  PresidentRui Cruz (PSD)
Area
  Total164.92 km2 (63.68 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
  Total22,851
  Density140/km2 (360/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC±00:00 (WET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+01:00 (WEST)
Local holidayMonday after the Whit Sunday
Websitehttp://www.cm-vagos.pt

In Roman times, the municipality was then called "Vacus" and it had both ocean and large sand dune valleys situated just east of the town center. Increase in sedimentation and sand drifts have leveled and lengthened this distance. Antonio Gomes da Rocha Madail and other writers state that there is tradition among the native population that they are descendants of the seafaring salt farmers from Phoenicia.

Due to the fertile soils, agriculture plays a major role in the economy of the municipality and consequently in its prosperity. The green meadows bring about exceptional conditions for the breeding of cattle and production of milk at a national level. The forest areas and the production of vegetables are another source of richness for the municipality. In the industrial sector, ceramics are the predominant money-maker.

The municipality is located in the District of Aveiro. It is included in the Região de Aveiro.

The present Mayor is Silvério Rodrigues Regalado,[3] elected by the Social Democratic Party.

The municipal holiday is the Monday after the Whit Sunday. The mother church for the municipality is in honor of Saint James.

Demographics

Population of Vagos Municipality (1801–2011)
1801 1849 1900 1930 1960 1981 1991 2001 2004 2011
4047 6961 11954 15860 20250 18548 19068 22017 23205 22851

Cities and towns

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 8 civil parishes (freguesias):[4]

Famous people

  • Manuel Freire, born on 25 April 1942, Portuguese singer and composer.
  • Diogo Sarabando, Portuguese singer and composer, known as himalion.

See also

References


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