| Type: | municipality |
| Coordinates: | 41.5333°N -55°W |
| Region: | Norte |
| Cim: | Cávado |
| District: | Braga |
| Leader Party: | PSD |
| Leader Name: | Benjamim Pereira |
| Area Total: | 95.41 |
| Population Total: | 34,254 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Parishes: | 9 |
| Website: | http://www.cm-esposende.pt/ |
Esposende (pronounced as /pt/) is a city and a municipality in Braga District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 34,254,[1] in an area of 95.41 km2.[2] The city itself (the parish Esposende, Marinhas e Gandra) had a population of 9,197 in 2001.[3] It gained city status on 2 July 1993. The present Mayor is Fernando Couto Cepa, elected by the Social Democratic Party. The municipal holiday is August 19. It is located on the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago.
| Population of Esposende Municipality (1801–2008) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 1849 | 1900 | 1930 | 1960 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | |
| 4 157 | 12 545 | 15 161 | 19 452 | 23 966 | 28 652 | 30 101 | 33 325 | 34 254 | |
Fishing, agriculture and tourism are important for the economy of the municipality. Prozis, a multinational sports nutrition company, is headquartered in Esposende.
Administratively, the municipality is divided into nine civil parishes (freguesias):[4]