Palmela

Palmela is a town and a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 62,831, in an area of 465.12 km².The municipality is located in Setúbal District, about 25km south of Lisbon. The municipal holiday is 1 June.ParishesAdministratively, the municipality is divided into 4 civil parishes : Palmela Pinhal Novo Poceirão e Marateca Quinta do AnjoGeneral informationThe town's name comes from its Roman founder, Cornelius Palma (Palmella). Palmela, once a fortress, was conquered by the Portuguese in the 12th century. A semi-rural town, it is located up a hill in the Arrábida area, right in the middle of Portugal's biggest urban area. Many people are moving in from big cities like Lisbon. Wild fires in the region are a threat to the environment.The castle, Castelo de Palmela, offers a unique view over the whole region of the Setúbal Peninsula, Lisbon, and the Atlantic Coast. It was a strategic place in past centuries, and today it is still a main juncture of Portugal's road and rail networks.Palmela is home to many multinational industrial plants like Volkswagen and Coca-Cola, and a significant number of foreign families live in the area. The local radio often broadcasts in Ukrainian.