| Location | Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain |
| Geographic coordinates | 39 30 N, 8 00 W |
| Map references | Europe |
| Area | total: 92,090 sq km land: 91,470 sq km water: 620 sq km note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Virginia |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,224 km border countries (1): Spain 1224 km |
| Coastline | 1,793 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south |
| Terrain | the west-flowing Tagus River divides the country: the north is mountainous toward the interior, while the south is characterized by rolling plains |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 372 m |
| Natural resources | fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 39.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 7.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 20% (2018 est.) forest: 37.8% (2018 est.) other: 22.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 5,400 sq km (2012) |
| Total renewable water resources | 77.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Natural hazards | Azores subject to severe earthquakes volcanism: limited volcanic activity in the Azores Islands; Fayal or Faial (1,043 m) last erupted in 1958; most volcanoes have not erupted in centuries; historically active volcanoes include Agua de Pau, Furnas, Pico, Picos Volcanic System, San Jorge, Sete Cidades, and Terceira |
| Geography - note | Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; they are two of the four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia; the others are the Canary Islands (Spain) and Cabo Verde |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
