• Flora and Fauna

The vegetation of Portugal is a mixture of Atlantic, European, Mediterranean and some African species. North of the Mondego valley, 57 percent of the plants are European species (more than 86 percent in the northern interior) and only 26 percent Mediterranean; in the south the proportions are reversed; 29 and 46 percent, respectively.

The fauna in Portugal is again a mixture of European and North African species. Wild goat, pig and deer can be found in the Portuguese countryside. There are still wolves in the remote parts of Serra da Estrela, and lynx can be found in the Alentejo. The fox, rabbit and Iberian hare are ubiquitous. Bird life is rich because the peninsula lies on the winter migration route of western and central European species, especially in the wetlands of the Algarve. Fish are plentiful in the Atlantic waters of mainland Portugal, especially the European sardine, sea bass and gilded sea bream. Crustaceans are common on the northern rocky coasts.