ALENTEJO

also spelled Alemtejo, historical province of south-central Portugal. It lies southeast of the Tagus (Tejo) River and is bounded on the east by the Spanish frontier and on the southwest by the Atlantic Ocean. It is an almost featureless tableland of less than 650 feet (200 m) in elevation in the south and southwest that ascends to higher elevations in the far south and northeast. Although Alentejo is one of the driest regions in Portugal, irrigation projects make possible the cultivation of wheat, rye, oats, barley, and sugar beets. The Alentejo region produces two-thirds of the world's output of cork. Cork oak acorns are used locally for pig feed. Some livestock are pastured, and wool textiles, rugs (from Persian designs), and olive oil are manufactured there. The region's quarries yield granite, limestone, basalt, marble, and alabaster; copper and sulfur are mined. Until the revolution of 1974, Alentejo contained estates of up to 1,000 acres (400 hectares), mostly owned by absentee landlords. A part of the forests and cropland has since been divided among the Alentejanos, usually in the form of cooperatives. Contemporary Alentejo comprises all of Beja and vora distritos and most of Setbal and Portalegre distritos.