Loures : Portugal
Loures is a municipality (concelho) to the north of Lisbon. Created on 26th July 1886 by a royal decree, it occupies nowadays an area of 168 km and about 200 000 inhabitants (2001). It confines with the municipalities of Odivelas, Sintra, Mafra, Arruda dos Vinhos, Vila Franca de Xira and Lisbon.
The municipality comprises actually (after the secession of Odivelas and six other parishes Caneas, Fames, Olival Basto, Pvoa de Santo Adrio and Ramada in 1997, to form itself another municipality), 18 parishes (freguesias): Apelao, Bobadela, Bucelas, Camarate, Fanhes, Frielas, Loures (seat of the municipality), Lousa, Moscavide, Portela de Sacavm (where stays the Lisbon airport with that same name), Prior Velho, Sacavm (well known by its ceramics), Santa Iria de Azia, Santo Anto do Tojal, Santo Antnio dos Cavaleiros, So Joo da Talha, So Julio do Tojal and Unhos. From these, both Loures (with 24 000 habs.) and Sacavm (c. 18 000 habs.) are towns (cidades), being the rest villages (vilas).
The municipality is basically divided in three areas: the rustic one, to the north (Lousa, Fanhes, Bucelas, Santo Anto do Tojal and So Julio do Tojal); the urban one, to the south (Frielas, Loures and Santo Antnio dos Cavaleiros); and the urban-industrial, to the east (Apelao, Bobadela, Camarate, Moscavide, Portela de Sacavm, Prior Velho, Sacavm, Santa Iria de Azia, So Joo da Talha and Unhos).
In this eastern area, the ten local parishes claim to became independent from Loures, and form his own municipality, with is own set in the town of Sacavm. This struggle dates from the beginnings of the Portuguese Republic, and has a very strong support among the people today.
