Municipality of Mangualde

The municipality of Mangualde falls administratively in the District of Viseu and is integrated in the Central region (NUTS II) and the Dão-Lafões (NUTS III).

The municipality has a surface of 219.3 km² and according to results from the Census in 2011 a population of 19 880 inhabitants. This represents around 7.2% of the population of the Dão-Lafões. Slightly more of the inhabitants of the municipality of Mangualde are women. This means in numbers 10,321 (51.9%) female inhabitants and 9,559 (48.1%) male inhabitants. Comparing with the data obtained from the Census in 2001, there is a decrease of inhabitants of 1110 (-5.6%) persons.

The municipality is divided into the following parishes: Abrunhosa-a-Velha, Alcafache, Cunha Baixa, Espinho, Fornos de Maceira Dão, Freixiosa, Quintela de Azurara, São João da Fresta, União das Freguesias de Mangualde, Mesquitela e Cunha Alta, União das Freguesias de Moimenta de Maceira Dão e Lobelhe do Mato, União das Freguesias de Santiago de Cassurrães e Póvoa de Cervães, and União das Freguesias de Tavares (Chãs, Várzea e Travanca).

The Dão-Lafões is famous for several regions with special products: the Regiões Demarcadas do Vinho do Dão (wine), the Queijo da Serra da Estrela (cheese) and the Maçã Bravo de Esmolfe (apples).

The municipality of Mangualde has a very good traffic connection, in particularly the A25 and the railway line from Beira Alta. The basic infrastructure of electricity, water and sanitation, and social support such as health and education covers almost the entire population of the county.

All three sectors of economic activity are existing in the municipality of Mangualde. The majority of the workforce works in the tertiary sector, followed by the secondary and the primary sector.