Chaves Municipal coat of arms
Location  - Region  - Subregion  - District or A.R.	Norte Alto Trás-os-Montes Vila Real
Mayor  - Party	João Gonçalves Baptista PSD
Area	591.3 km²
Population  - Total  - Density	44,186 75/km²
No. of parishes	51
Coordinates	[1]
Municipal holiday	July 8
Website: http://www.cm-chaves.pt

Chaves (pron. IPA ['ʃavɨʃ]) is a city and a municipality in Portugal, located in the district of Vila Real. The city is the most populous of the district and the municipality is the second most populous in the district. It is located 10 km south of the Spanish border, just 22 km south of Verín. The district capital, Vila Real, is 60 km south on National Highway 02. Aquae Flaviae is the ancient Roman name for this city. Image File history File links CHV.png Crest of Chaves municipality (Portugal) Author: Sérgio Horta The author has agreed to usage of his works under the GNU-FDL, as long as he is quoted as the source: Caro Senhor, Manuel Anastácio File links The following pages link to... Região Norte (pron. ... The District of Vila Real is located in the Northeast of Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Vila Real. ... Political parties in Portugal lists political parties in Portugal. ... The Social Democratic Party (Portuguese: Partido Social Democrata, pron. ... A freguesia (pron. ... The Roman Bridge Coat of Arms Chaves, Portugal, is the second most populous city in the district of Vila Real, after the district capital of the same name. ... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... Pronunciation refers to: the way a word or a language is usually spoken; the manner in which someone utters a word. ... IPA may refer to: The International Phonetic Alphabet or India Pale Ale ... Location of the district of Vila Real The District of Vila Real (pron. ... Nickname: Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: ? Location Situation of Verín within Galicia Government Parroquias  ? Alcalde (Mayor)  ? (?) Geographical characteristics Area km² Land  ? km² Water  ? km² Population  ? Total (2005)  ? (12. ... Vila-real (also known as Villarreal): city in the province of Castellon, Valencian Community region, Spain. ...

The population of the concelho of Chaves was 44,186 in 2004, of which 19,300 in the city. The area of the municipality is 591.3 km². Many of the municipalities of Portugal are older than the country itself. ...

The town has always had great historical importance, being the site of an important Roman garrison and later being in the forefront of resistance during the Napoleonic invasions of the early nineteenth century. In Portuguese military history Chaves is especially famous for two battles: the siege of Chaves by French forces in 1807 and the Royalist attack on Chaves led by Henrique Paiva Couceiro in 1912. The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... The Siege of Chaves refers to the French siege of Chaves, Portugal in 1808 and the subsequent recapture of the town by Portuguese forces. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ...

The castle in Chaves

Chaves is a town of fortifications. There is the keep of a medieval castle and ruins of two forts, Forte São Francisco and Forte São Neutel, both built in the 17th century. The original Roman bridge in Chaves crossing the Tamega still stands with its stone arches and is the most important tourist site of the town. The hot springs of Chaves have been famous since Roman times and today many people come to the town to take the water cure. Image File history File links Chavescastle. ... Image File history File links Chavescastle. ... Photo by J.B. Cesar Chaves is unique in Portugal in that it still has a Roman bridge in relatively good shape crossing the river and uniting the two most important parishes in the town. ... Tâmega at dusk (photo by Tulia Vogensen) The Tâmega River lies in the north of Portugal in the historical province of Tras-os-Montes Its source lies thirty kilometers north of Verín in the Spanish autonomous region of Galicia and it flows south for about 100 kilometers...

Agriculture and services are still the main sources of income. The traditional prosperity of Chaves comes, mainly, from a highly fertile plain, nine km. long and three to five wide. Since the land can be irrigated with canals there is intensive farming, mainly of potatoes, corn, rye, hay, and plots of vegetables for sale in the local market. There is one main canal which begins near Vila Verde da Raia and crosses the valley on the right bank of the Tâmega as far as Nantes.

On the whole, the land is made up of small plots that are rarely economically viable. There is some dairy farming, and a milk production unit on the south side of town, but few cows can be seen in the valley. In general most of the farmers are of retirement age and farming is often pursued more as a hobby than as a profession.

In addition to agriculture there are some small industries producing glass, tiles, and food products. Like Vila Pouca de Aguiar located 30km south this is granite country. There are several granite extraction and finishing industries. There are also three brickworks on the south side of the city. There are two mineral water plants in nearby Vidago. Vidago is a small town located twelve kilometers south of Chaves in the district of Vila Real, Portugal. ...

Many of the local people have emigrated to northern Europe, especially France. In August these emigrants return to visit their villages and the population of Chaves doubles. It is a time of weddings and village festivals.

The climate in Chaves is transitional between Atlantic Maritime Temperate and Continental. The mountains between the Minho region and Tras-os-Montes serve as a climactic barrier and lessen rainfall as one moves in an easterly direction. Winters can be cold with January highs rarely reaching 10º and lows often going below zero. Thick fog hovering over the valley is also common on dry days. Summer is characterized by dry days with maximums around 30º and minimums around 15º. Summer brush fires can often make this season unpleasant.

Chaves has always been isolated from the coastal urban centers and has suffered from a lack of road communications. A new four-lane highway--the IP 3--is presently under construction and the Vila Verde da Raia to Vila Pouca de Aguiar stretch is expected to be ready by June 2006. This highway will link Chaves to Vila Real and eventually to Porto.

Parishes

The parishes of Chaves are:

Gallery

The Roman Bridge Image File history File links Chavesromanbridge. ...

The old quarter with typical houses

Fog hangs over the hills near Chaves

External links

• Municipality official website
• Map of Chaves

Municipalities of the District of Vila Real
Alijó | Boticas | Chaves | Mesão Frio | Mondim de Basto | Montalegre | Murça | Peso da Régua Ribeira de Pena | Sabrosa | Santa Marta de Penaguião | Valpaços | Vila Pouca de Aguiar | Vila Real