Concelho (Portuguese: [kõˈseʎu]) is the Portuguese-language term for municipality, referring to the territorial subdivision in local government. In comparison, the word município ([muniˈsipiu]) refers to the organs of State. This differentiation is still in use in Portugal and some of its former overseas provinces, but is no longer in use in Brazil following the abolition of these organs, in favour of the French prefecture system. It is similar to borough and council.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 Concelho in the context of Algarve, Portugal
The Algarve (UK: /ælˈɡɑːrv, ˈælɡ-/, US: /ɑːlˈɡɑːrvə, ælˈ-/, European Portuguese: [alˈɣaɾvɨ] ) is the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of 4,997 km (1,929 sq mi) with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities (concelhos or municípios in Portuguese).
The region has its administrative centre in the city of Faro, where both the region's international airport and public university, the University of Algarve, are located. The region is the same as the area included in the Faro District and is subdivided into two zones, one to the West (Barlavento) and another to the East (Sotavento). Tourism and related activities are extensive and make up the bulk of the Algarve's summer economy. Production of food which includes fish and other seafood, as well as different types of fruit and vegetables such as oranges, figs, plums, carob pods, almonds, avocados, tomatoes, cauliflowers, strawberries, and raspberries, are also economically important in the region.
In this Dossier
Concelho in the context of Coimbra
Coimbra, officially the City of Coimbra, is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of 319.40 square kilometres (123.3 sq mi).It is the fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, and is the largest city of the district of Coimbra and the Centro Region. About 460,000 people live in the Região de Coimbra, comprising 19 municipalities and extending into an area of 4,336 square kilometres (1,674 sq mi).
Among the many archaeological structures dating back to the Roman era, when Coimbra was the settlement of Aeminium, are its well-preserved aqueduct and cryptoporticus. Similarly, buildings from the period when Coimbra was the capital of Portugal (from 1131 to 1255) still remain. During the late Middle Ages, with its decline as the political centre of the Kingdom of Portugal, Coimbra began to evolve into a major cultural centre. This was in large part helped by the establishment of the first Portuguese university in 1290 in Lisbon and its relocation to Coimbra in 1308, making it the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world. Apart from attracting many European and international students, the university is visited by many tourists for its monuments and history. Its historical buildings were classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2013: "Coimbra offers an outstanding example of an integrated university city with a specific urban typology as well as its own ceremonial and cultural traditions that have been kept alive through the ages."
Concelho in the context of Faro, Portugal
Faro (/ˈfɑːroʊ/ FAR-oh, Portuguese: [ˈfaɾu] ), officially the City of Faro (Portuguese: Cidade de Faro), is a city and a municipality in southern Portugal. It is the capital of both the Algarve region and the Faro District, as well as the southernmost city on the Portuguese mainland. Faro municipality covers an area of 202.57 km (78.21 sq mi) and, as of 2024, had 70,347 inhabitants, making it the second most populous municipality in the Algarve after Loulé. The city proper had 46,299 inhabitants in 2021, the largest urban population in the region. Faro lies on the shore of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a protected nature reserve and hosts the region’s international airport and university.
Founded as Ossonoba in antiquity, Faro was a settlement during the Phoenician and Roman periods and later served as a Moorish port known as Santa Maria Ibn Harun. It became part of the Kingdom of Portugal in 1249 and was elevated to city status in 1540. Since 1756, following the devastation of the Lisbon earthquake, Faro has been the administrative capital of the Algarve.
Concelho in the context of Porto
Porto, officially the Ancient, Very Noble, Ever Loyal and Undefeated City of Porto, also known in English as Oporto, is the second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 252,687 people in a municipal area of 41.42 km (16 sq mi). As of 2025, Porto's urban area has around 1.4 million people in an area of 2,395 km (925 sq mi), making it the second-largest urban area in Portugal. while the Porto metro area has more than 1.8 million people. It is recognized as a global city with a Gamma + rating from the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
On the Douro River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centers, and its core was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, as the Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar. The historic area is also a National Monument of Portugal. The western part of its urban area extends to the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Settlement dates back to the 2nd century BC, when it was an outpost of the Roman Republic. Its combined Celtic-Latin name, Portus Cale, has been referred to as the origin of the name Portugal, based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin.
Concelho in the context of Silves, Portugal
Silves (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsiɫ.vɨʃ] ), officially the City of Silves (Portuguese: Cidade de Silves), is a city and municipality in the Portuguese region of Algarve, in southern Portugal. The population of the entire municipality of Silves in 2011 was 37,126, in an area of 680.06 km. The urbanized area of the city proper has approximately 11,000 inhabitants. Silves is the former capital of the Kingdom of the Algarve (1249–1910), a nominal kingdom within the Kingdom of Portugal (1139–1910), and is of great historical importance.
Concelho in the context of Municipalities of Portugal
The municipality (Portuguese: município or concelho) is the second-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution.
As a general rule, each municipality is further subdivided into parishes (freguesias); the municipalities in the north of the country usually have a higher number of parishes. Six municipalities are composed of only one parish, and Barcelos, with 61 parishes, has the most. Corvo is, by law, the only municipality with no parishes.