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 Portugal: Cork & Wine
 Portugal has a Mediterranean climate shown in dark green or climatic type Csb and Csa on the map (Source: Goode’s Atlas). Around the Mediterranean Sea, the winter rains bring most of the moisture (10 to
over 20 inches) and with mild year-round temperatures, certain crops are
characteristic. Mediterranean agriculture is
distinctive: “row crops” of
winter
wheat and vegetables; “tree
crops” of
olives,
chestnuts, walnuts,
almonds,
citrus fruits,
cork, and
grapes; and livestock of pigs,
sheep, goats, and chickens. Portugal
illustrates all these aspects of Mediterranean agriculture; particularly
distinctive are its cork and viticulture landscapes.
Agricultural Trends in Portugal. Total labor units in
agriculture fell from more than 1.1 million in 1980 (29% of the country's total
workforce) to 806,000 in 1990 (18%) and 520,000 in 1993 (12%). Agricultural
labor accounted for 11% of the total workforce in 1996. In the same period, the total number of
farms fell from 823,000 in 1980 to around 500,000 at present. In fifteen years,
the agricultural workforce has decreased by over 60%, while the total number of
farms fell by 40% and average farm size increased from 5 to 7.5 hectares
(Source:
PortugalOffer).
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