Situated in the heart of Minho, Braga finds itself in a region of contrasts between the East and the West, from mountains, forests and fields to the great valleys, plains and fresh and green meadows. Fields created by nature and molded by man. Set in the Minho’s  Northeast region, Braga is the capital of its own namesake district. Geographically, Braga is located in the Cávado valley, in Portugal’s Northeast region, at the latitude of N 41º 32’ 39’’ and longitude W 8º 25’ 19’’. With an area of 184 km2 (114mi2), it has, to the North, the municipalities of Vila Verde and Amares, to the Northwest and East, Póvoa de Lanhoso, to the South and Southeast Guimarães and Vila Nova de Famalicão and to the West the municipality of Barcelos. The municipality’s landscape is characterized by a relative irregularity with valley areas that extend throughout the territory and often contrast with small rock formations, aligned with the main rivers. With its borders limited in the North by the Cávado River, in the South by the group of hills that form the Serra dos Picos (566m/~ 1856 ft) and in the East by Serra dos Carvalhos (479m/~ 1571 ft), Braga’s municipality, opens to the West to the municipalities of Famalicão and Barcelos. The territory spreads from Northeast to Southeast, following the river valleys that cross its lands, which, along with other courses of smaller size, have created two platforms. The valley areas are predominant, but they don’t reach high altitudes, varying from 20m/~ 65.6 ft to 570 meters/~ 1870 ft, so that the sun exposure is, in general, good throughout most of the territory. Administratively, Braga’s municipality is the district capital of Braga and it includes 62 parishes, reaching, in 2001, a total resident population of 164 192 inhabitants. Braga is an urban municipality.