Faro, a city of Portugal, capital of the province of Algarve, near the mouth of the Valfermoso, 62 m. E. of Cape St. Vincent, and 140 m. S. E.of Lisbon; pop. about 8,500. It was destroyed by the English in 1506, and by earthquakes in 1722 and 1755, and now presents a modern appearance, though, with the exception of the principal square and of a fortress, the houses are generally poor. The town has a cathedral, a theological seminary.

I and a mathematical school for the army. The cathedral, said to have been a mosque, is a time-worn building. In the E. and highest part of the city is an ancient and imposing castle surrounded by Moorish walls, and in the same direction is an arch with a statue of St. Thomas Aquinas. Blindness prevails to a great extent, owing to the light sandy soil. Sand bars render the port, which is defended by a small citadel, almost inaccessible; but tolerable anchorage is obtained in the roadstead formed by three small islands at the mouth of the river. The coasting trade is active, especially in southern fruit. Figs and oranges are the most important products.