Pontevedra

Province of Galicia autonomous community, northwest Spain, with a deeply indented coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, and separated from Portugal by the River Miño; area 4,400 sq km/1,699 sq mi; population (2001 est) 913,000. Pontevedra is the smallest of the Galician provinces. However, it has the highest density of population in the region with 204 inhabitants per sq km, most of whom live along the western seaboard. The area is mountainous and the weather is subtropical, with high levels of rain and mild temperatures. Industries include agriculture and fishing. Its chief port is Vigo and the capital is Pontevedra. The Christian pilgrims' route, ‘The Portuguese Way’, leading to the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, runs through the province.