Minho

Minho, historical provincia, northwesternmost Portugal. It was originally called Entre Douro e Minho, the region between the Minho and Douro rivers. The area was occupied by both the Celts and the Romans, the former having left numerous ruins called castra, or hill forts. There is a narrow coastal plain stretching for about 30 miles (50 km) from north to south and extending between 2 and 10 miles (3 and 16 km) inland to the Santa Luzia Mountains. The rest of the region consists of undulating plateaus traversed by deep valleys of the Minho, Lima, Cávado, and Ave rivers.

High population densities have encouraged intensive cultivation. Corn (maize) and haricot beans are important crops, and the field borders are used for fruit trees and vines. Modern techniques, including low vine supports, have advanced the production of rigorously controlled, high-quality vinho verde (green wine) and estate-bottled wines (grown and bottled by the vineyard owner). The use of irrigation and of terraced fields on slopes characterize the landscape. Stock rearing is important on the higher lands, and the timber industry is significant. Fishing is of local importance at Esposende, Viana do Castelo, and Âncora-Gontinhaes. Textiles are manufactured in Braga, the capital of the historical provincia, and Guimarães. Many buildings are constructed out of local gray granite. An increasing number of tourists are drawn to the beauty of the Minho, its cool weather, its old, attractive towns and markets, and its many fine manor houses.