chapter 3
EXPLOITAT I O N A N D D E V ELO PMENT A r r a b i d a N a t u r a l P a r k , S a d o R i v e r E s t u a r y, C i t y o f L a g o s
Resource Portugal, as many other European nations, has relied on its resources to develop both physically and economically. The country’s history of resource exploitation ranges from fishery and forestry to stone extraction and slave trade. The term resource, often described as “a stock or supply that allows the country to support itself and grow economically” has largely influenced Portugal’s development. Stone extraction goes a long way in Portugal’s past. The unlimited access to marble and limestone allowed the Portuguese to build grand structures such as monasteries, castles and places of worship. In fact,
the location of convents and monasteries built around the 15th and 16th centuries was largely determined by their proximity to stone extraction sites; as it was the main material used for construction. The development in Arrabida, a mountainous region located South of Lisbon, became possible only through the extraction of local stone. Even though the area was recently declared as a natural park, it still houses convents and dwellings that speak to the exploitation of such resources. In a similar way, the development of many cities in Portugal was only possible through the exploitation of the fishery in-
dustry. Setúbal, a city that sits on the northern bank of the Sado River estuary, owes its growth to the resources that became readily available by its proximity to water. Today, the fishing industry still sustains Setúbal’s economy, encouraging further development to occur near the area. The close relationship between resource exploitation and development can also be examined through the slave market established in Lagos in the 15th century. The wealth of the city was enabled by the exploitation of slaves bought by rich families and the Catholic Church. In this case, a resource that was socially constructed empow-