Mértola is a small municipality with seven parishes, that belongs to the district of Beja and is located in the Alentejo region, south of Portugal.
Mértola municipality has a total resident population of 6205 inhabitants and a population density of only 4.8 inhabitants per Km2. About 36% of its population is over 65 years of age.
The loss of population over the decades was due, above all, to lhe closure of mining operations that took place in lhe S. Domingos Mine until the mid-1960s and the progressive abandonment of agricultural activity. Today, Mértola reinvents itself through the enhancement of its resources, with emphasis on Tourism, Culture and Biodiversity. lts economy is based on livestock farming, hunting and tourism.
