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Vera Cruz

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Parish of the municipality of Portel (Portel), district of Évora.

Vera Cruz had 378 residents in the 2021 Census, 27,2% of whom were aged 65 or over, and 5,8% of the population aged 15 or over had completed higher education. It borders 6 parishes and its centroid is 8,0 km in a straight line from the centroid of the municipality of Portel.

Population (inh.)
  • 251 – 280
  • 378 – 388
  • 416
  • 474 – 1.149
  • 2.411
Density (inh./km²)
  • 2,9 – 3,2
  • 8,5 – 10,4
  • 10,7
  • 11,3 – 11,5
  • 15,4
Area (km²)
  • 36,3 – 37,5
  • 42,0 – 44,6
  • 78,9
  • 98,3 – 107,1
  • 156,4
Quantile classes · current parish
Parish highlighted. Click a neighbouring parish to open its page. Geometry: CAOP2025, Direção-Geral do Território (simplified).

The 8 parishes of Portel

Hover a row to highlight it on the map. Click a header to sort.

#ParishPopulationArea (km²)Inhab./km²
1Alqueva25178,853,2
2Amieira28098,292,9
3Monte do Trigo1.149107,1110,7
4Oriola41636,2511,5
5Portel2.411156,4415,4
6Santana47441,9511,3
7São Bartolomeu do Outeiro38837,5010,4
8Vera Cruz37844,628,5
Code (DTMNFR)
070908
Resident population (2021)
378
Area
44,62 km²
Density
8,5 inh./km²
Share of the municipality (population)
6,6%
Rank in the municipality (population)
6th of 8

INE, Censos 2021 (população residente por freguesia, geografia 2025, ind. 0014584); DGT, CAOP2025 (área). Population refers to the 2021 census moment, compiled by INE for the parish boundaries in force in 2025.

2021 Census in detail

Men
191 (50,5%)
Women
187 (49,5%)
Portuguese nationality
367 (97,1%)
Foreign nationality
11 (2,9%)
Ageing index
210,2 elderly per 100 young people
Private households
162
Average household size *
2,33 people
Dwellings
346
Classic family dwellings
346
Buildings
342
Buildings with 7 or more floors
0
With higher education (15+)
5,8% (19)
Unemployment rate *
9,55% (H 8,60% · M 10,94%)
Active / employed population
157 / 142

Population by age group

Population by age group0-14 years: 49 (13,0%); 15-24 years: 40 (10,6%); 25-64 years: 186 (49,2%); 65+ years: 103 (27,2%)0-1449 · 13,0%15-2440 · 10,6%25-64186 · 49,2%65+103 · 27,2%
Residents by age group and share of the total (378).
Age groupTotalMenWomen
0-14 years492623
15-24 years402515
25-64 years1869888
65+ years1034261

Source: INE, Censos 2021 — indicators 0014630, 0014631, 0014627, 0014623, 0014621, 0014635, 0014636, 0012481, 0012328, 0014632, obtained from the INE indicators API on 24/09/2026 (licence CC BY 4.0). Parish geography of 2025 (CAOP2025). Nationality (Portuguese, foreign, stateless) is INE indicator 0014632. * Indicator published by INE only for 2013 parish geography (NUTS 2024); used because the parish has the same territory in both geographies (identical population by sex and age group). Ageing index = population aged 65+ ÷ population aged 0–14 × 100; share with higher education = residents with completed higher education ÷ residents aged 15 or over (our calculations from INE figures).

Neighbouring parishes

Portel · Selmes (Vidigueira) · Vidigueira (Vidigueira) · Alqueva · Pedrógão (Vidigueira) · Santana

Straight-line distance to the centroid of the municipality of Portel
8,0 km

Neighbourhood calculated from official boundaries: DGT, Carta Administrativa Oficial de Portugal (CAOP) 2025 (licence CC BY 4.0); two parishes are neighbours when they share a boundary segment. The distance is the straight-line (great-circle) distance between the geometric centroid of the parish and that of the municipality (in territories with islets, of the main part), not a road distance.

2025 local elections — Parish assembly

Registered voters
302
Voters
239
Turnout
79,14% (2021: 71,29%)
Seats
7
ListVotes%Seats
PS
Partido Socialista		12050,21%4
CH
CHEGA		6527,20%2
PCP-PEV
CDU - Coligação Democrática Unitária		4719,67%1
Blank votes31,26%
Null votes41,67%

Most-voted list, which elects the parish-council president: PS.

Source: SGMAI — official results of the local elections of 12 October 2025 (Secretary-General of the Ministry of Internal Administration), consulted on 25/09/2026. Percentages calculated by SGMAI over total voters.

Heraldry

Coat of arms: escudo de vermelho, com cruz de ouro firmada, acantonada de quatro cruzes da Ordem de Malta. Coroa mural de prata de três torres. Listel branco, com a legenda a negro: «VERA CRUZ - PORTEL».

Flag: branca. Cordão e borlas de prata e vermelho. Haste e lança de ouro.

Seal: nos termos da Lei, com a legenda: «Junta de Freguesia de Vera Cruz - Portel».

Heraldic ordinance published by Edital n.º 1037/2008, Diário da República n.º 206/2008, Série II de 2008-10-23 (issuer: Junta de Freguesia de Vera Cruz). Excerpt of the official text (coat of arms, flag and seal), reproduced unchanged.

Parish-council contacts

Address
Largo S. Sebastião
Vera Cruz (PORTEL)
7220-563 VERA CRUZ
Telephone
266667173
Fax
266677270
Email
freguesiaveracruz@gmail.com

Source: DGAL - Portal Autárquico (Direção-Geral das Autarquias Locais), consulted on 25/09/2026.

More information

Coordinates
38,22783, -7,69204
Wikipedia
Vera Cruz (Portel)
Wikidata
Q936630

Source: Wikidata (data under CC0 1.0), consulted on 24/09/2026. The patron saint and coordinates are those recorded on Wikidata.

Sources: INE, 2021 Census (resident population) · DGT, CAOP2025 (area and parishes) · more details · Data updated on 24/09/2026