Trás-os-Montes (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˌtɾaz uʒ ˈmõtɨʃ]) is a geographical, historical and cultural region of Portugal.

Portuguese for "behind the mountains", Trás-os-Montes is located northeast of the country in an upland area, landlocked by the Douro and Tâmega rivers to south and west and by the Spanish communities of Galicia and Castile and León to the north and east.

On the other hand, its extreme continentality also contributed to the lack of development, which led its inhabitants to seek better conditions on the coast or emigrate to other European countries such as France, Luxembourg and Switzerland, and to Brazil.

The name of Trás-os-Montes refers to the location to the east of mountains such as Marão, Alvão and Gerês, which separate the interior from the coast, and which form a valley around the Douro River.

These natural barriers have kept this region of Portugal depopulated and poor for several centuries, being the reason that many of its inhabitants were forced to emigrate to the coast or to other countries such as Brazil, France, Luxembourg or Switzerland.

[1] Geomorphologically the mountainous Trás-os-Montes region forms a continuum with the Galician Massif, so that it is considered as a whole under the name 'Galicia-Trás-os-Montes Zone'.

Traditionally these villages were disconnected from the coast due to the lack of good roads, and thus suffered the effects of poverty and isolation.

In the small villages, agricultural activity is maintained at a good pace, so that it is still possible to obtain good: corn, wheat, olive oil, chestnuts and some delicate grapes widely used in the production of wine from the region (called port wine) as well as a large number of natural agricultural products.

The Terra Fria is the area with very cold and prolonged winters, with warm to hot and dry summers, while the Terra Quente has shorter winters, although equally cold, with very hot and dry summers that show their influence even in spring and fall, they are shorter than normal.

Undoubtedly the most important hydroelectric infrastructure in the region is the Alto Douro Vinhateiro navigation channel, which makes it possible for tourist cruises to transit from Porto to the Spanish border at Barca d’Alva.

In addition to Portuguese, in the northeastern corner of the region, known as Tierra de Miranda, Mirandese is spoken, a dialect of the Asturian language, which is officially recognized in Trás-os-Montes under Law No.

Interrupting the long silences of each winter, as if secretly and unpredictably emerging from the corners of Podence, the Caretos and their frenzied cowbells appear well crossed in the colored stripes of the thick blankets of their suits.

[1] Until the 17th century, the Province of Trás-os-Montes constituted a correctional office, administered by a corregedor (a magistrate with judicial and administrative functions).

At the beginning of the 19th century, Trás-os-Montes included the districts of Bragança, Miranda, Torre de Moncorvo and Vila Real.

The division into provinces was maintained, but these became mere groupings of districts for statistical and regional reference purposes, without their own bodies.