Sintra Mountains

The Sintra Mountains (Portuguese: Serra De Sintra), is a mountain range in western Portugal. Its highest point is (1,736 feet [529 m]) is near Sintra. The range covers about 10 miles (16 km) from the resort town of Sintra to Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca) on the Atlantic Ocean. It was known to the Ancient World as Lunae Mons (mountains of the Moon) and was the legendary retreat of Diana the Huntress (Cynthia to the Romans, hence Çintra).

It has a rich fauna, foxes, genet, moles, salamanders, peregrine falcons, vipers and various species of scaly reptiles. Its climate is temperate with many oceanic influences and hence presents a higher rainfall than the remaining area of Lisbon. It also has a unique vegetation. About nine hundred plant species are indigenous, ten percent of which are endemic. Namely oak, cork oak and pine wood.

It is the target of several sightseeing tours. It is also visited by climbing and mountaineering practitioners, since the slopes are mostly oriented to the west, which increases the length of light in summer afternoons.

Sintra

Sintra (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsĩtɾɐ]) is a town and a municipality in the Grande Lisboa subregion (Lisbon Region) of Portugal. The municipality contains two cities: Queluz and Agualva-Cacém. The population in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of 319.23 square kilometres (123.26 sq mi).

Sintra is known for its many 19th-century Romantic architectural monuments, which has resulted in its classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although its heritage in buildings and nature is the most visible face of the historic individuality of Sintra, a whole literary heritage has made the area a legendary reference in Portuguese culture. It has become a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the centre and suburbs of the capital Lisbon. In addition to the Sintra Mountains and Sintra-Cascais Nature Park, the parishes of the town of Sintra are dotted with royal retreats, estates, castles and other buildings, including the mediaeval Castelo dos Mouros, the Pena National Palace and the Sintra National Palace.

Closed-cell PVC foamboard

Closed-cell PVC foamboard is a lightweight rigid material used primarily in the manufacture of signs and displays. It is considered robust for outdoor use, being immune to rain and resistant to wind and sunlight.

History

In 1912, the first patents for PVC were founded in Britain and Germany. It was not until the early 1930s that PVC was able to be produced cheaply, limiting its marketable applications for the time. World War II helped make the substance popular, as manufacturers used it to make an assortment of items for soldiers. It was here that PVC’s water resistance was shown to be an important property, and tools made from PVC were used in many marine applications. After the war, PVC was not a popular choice of materials in the marine industry due to its density. In the 1970s, the need for a strong, moisture-resistant material led to plastic manufactures working with PVC to make it lighter. This led to the creation of PVC foamboard, by combining PVC with polyurea at the molecular level.

Sintra (Santa Maria e São Miguel, São Martinho e São Pedro de Penaferrim)

Sintra (Santa Maria e São Miguel, São Martinho e São Pedro de Penaferrim) is a civil parish in the municipality of Sintra, Lisbon District, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes Santa Maria e São Miguel, São Martinho and São Pedro de Penaferrim. The population in 2011 was 29,591, in an area of 63.55 km².

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