Sado River

The Sado is a river in southern Portugal that is one of the country's major rivers. It flows in a northerly direction (the only major Portuguese river to do so) for 175 kilometers (109 miles) from its headwaters in the Ourique highlands to an estuary in Setúbal, where it enters the Atlantic Ocean. With an area of approximately 106,460,000 km2, the Atlantic Ocean is the world's second-largest of the five oceans (41,100,000 sq mi). It covers about 20% of the Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. In the European perception of the World, it is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe, and Asia from the "New World" of the Americas.

The estuary is home to a huge group of bottlenose dolphins; the pod consists of 31 individuals, each of them has been given a name (2007). Several dams have been built along the river, mostly to provide irrigation for rice, maize, and other crops. The river passes through Alcácer do Sal on its way to the sea.

Length: 175 km (109 mi)