SINES

town and port, Setbal distrito (district), southwestern Portugal. It lies south of Lisbon, on the Atlantic coast. Sines was the birthplace of the navigator Vasco da Gama (c. 14601524). In 1978 the state-owned Petroleos de Portugal (Petrogal) opened a refinery there with a capacity of 200,000 barrels per day of crude oil. Associated petrochemical and fertilizer industries were built around the refinery, and a railroad-car plant and various light industries also began operation there. The port was developed into a deepwater port to handle tankers and cargo carriers primarily for export activities. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 9,628.