The Ribatejo () is the most central of the traditional

provinces of Portugal The term "provinces" () has been used throughout history to identify regions of continental Portugal. Current legal subdivisions of Portugal do not coincide with the provinces, but several provinces, in their 19th- and 20th-century versions, s ...

, with no coastline or border with Spain. The region is crossed by the

Tagus The Tagus ( ; ; ) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales between Cuenca and Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally westward, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon. Name T ...

river (''Ribatejo'' translates to "upper Tagus", or more precisely, "up the Tagus" relative to

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

at its mouth). The region contains some of the nation's richest agricultural land, and it produces most of the animals used in the Portuguese-style bullfighting, Portuguese style of bullfighting. Ribatejo Province was formally created in 1936. It contained the municipalities of Abrantes, Alcanena, Almeirim, Alpiarça, Azambuja, Benavente, Portugal, Benavente, Cartaxo, Chamusca, Constância, Coruche, Entroncamento, Ferreira do Zêzere, Golegã, Rio Maior, Salvaterra de Magos, Santarém, Portugal, Santarém, Sardoal, Tomar, Torres Novas, Vila Franca de Xira and Vila Nova da Barquinha. The largest towns were Santarém, Portugal, Santarém and Tomar. In 1976 the Ribatejo Province was dissolved. Most of the area belongs to the Santarém District. For EU statistical purposes, it was divided between the Lezíria do Tejo, Médio Tejo, Lisbon metropolitan area and Alto Alentejo (intermunicipal community), Alto Alentejo subregions (NUTS III), belonging to the Central Region, Portugal, Centro, Lisboa Region, Lisbon and Alentejo Region, Alentejo EU statistical regions (NUTS II).

Municipalities

*Lisboa District: Arruda dos Vinhos, Azambuja and Vila Franca de Xira municipalities *Portalegre District: Ponte de Sor municipality *Santarém District: Abrantes, Alcanena, Almeirim Municipality, Almeirim, Alpiarça, Benavente, Portugal, Benavente, Cartaxo, Chamusca, Constância, Coruche, Ferreira do Zêzere, Golegã, Rio Maior, Salvaterra de Magos, Santarém, Portugal, Santarém, Sardoal, Tomar, Torres Novas and Vila Nova da Barquinha municipalities

References

Provinces of Portugal (1936–1976) {{Portugal-geo-stub

Municipalities

See also

References