Cabo da Roca
Westernmost point of continental Europe and the Eurasian landmass.
Last updated
The cape features cliffs over 100 metres high cut into crystalline rocks.[1] This cape sits within the Sintra municipality, close to the settlement of Azóia, and lies west of the city of Lisbon.[2]
Key facts and history
The Romans knew Cabo da Roca as Promontorium Magnum.[2] During the Age of Sail it was called the Rock of Lisbon.[2] The cliffs are composed of strongly folded and faulted sedimentary units.[1] The promontory is the extreme western immersion of the ancient eruptive Sintra massif.[1]
Rose-coloured granite appears in the north and syenite in the south.[1] Some granite formations show evidence of strong coastal erosion.[3] Other areas have limestone deposits embedded in the granite.[3] Dikes and small beaches interrupt the cliff formations.[1]
The ocean exerts a very strong moderating influence on the local climate.[4] Summers are cool and stable with fog, while winters are rainy and mild.[4]
What the cited sources add
Anja Scheffers and Dieter Kelletat (2005) are the source for the description of the cliffs and their composition.[1] António Oliveira Fonseca (2010) provides evidence of coastal erosion and limestone deposits.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Cabo da Roca" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Anja Scheffers and Dieter Kelletat (2005), p. 6 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cabo da Roca" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Cape Roca", Encyclopædia Britannica, 2008 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cabo da Roca" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: António Oliveira Fonseca (2010), p. 11 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cabo da Roca" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "IPMA - Monitorização diária", www.ipma.pt (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Cabo da Roca (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
Also in the Codexery
More in Coastal And Marine Features
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Cabo da Roca (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced