Algarves

== Portuguese == === Etymology === In use since 1471 after the Kingdom of Algarve came to encompass Portugal's holdings in North Africa. === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: Al‧gar‧ves === Proper noun === Algarves m pl (plural only) plural of Algarve (historical) A former nominal kingdom in the Algarve, which from 1471 to 1769 also included Portugal's holdings in North Africa. Hyponyms: Algarve de Aquém-Mar, Algarve de Além-Mar ==== Usage notes ==== Uses the definite article: os Algarves. Portugal abandoned its last North African holding of Mazagão in 1769, since then the plural form has been on a steady decline (with the exception of in the title of "King/Queen of the Algarves", which the Portuguese monarchs continued to use until their deposition), with the singular Algarve being the near-exclusive form used since the abolition of the monarchy in 1910.