Portugal

Portugal: Travel tips, articles, photos, gallery, cities database, population, pics, flags, statistics, free maps online

Back to Countries, Click to read the whole article: Portugal

Introduction - Portugal:
Country	Portugal


Background	Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.


Location - Portugal:
Location	Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

Geographic coordinates	39 30 N, 8 00 W

Map references	Europe

Area	total: 92,391 sq km land: 91,951 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands

Area comparative	slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries	total: 1,214 km border countries: Spain 1,214 km

Coastline	1,793 km

Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate	maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

Terrain	mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south

Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m

Natural resources	fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower

Land use	arable land: 17.29% permanent crops: 7.84% other: 74.87% (2005)

Irrigated land	6,500 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards	Azores subject to severe earthquakes

Environment current issues	soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas

Environment international agreements	party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification

Geography note	Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

People - Portugal:
Population	10,642,836 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 16.5% (male 914,480/female 837,525) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,501,206/female 3,551,706) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 757,220/female 1,080,699) (2007 est.)

Median age	total: 38.8 years male: 36.7 years female: 41 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	0.334% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	10.59 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	10.56 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.092 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.986 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.701 male(s)/female total population: 0.946 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 77.87 years male: 74.6 years female: 81.36 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	1.48 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	0.4% (2001 est.)

Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	22,000 (2001 est.)

Hiv aids deaths	less than 1,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality	noun: Portuguese (singular and plural) adjective: Portuguese

Ethnic groups	homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal

Religions	Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census)

Languages	Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)

Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.3% male: 95.5% female: 91.3% (2003 est.)

Government - Portugal:
Country name	conventional long form: Portuguese Republic conventional short form: Portugal local long form: Republica Portuguesa local short form: Portugal

Government type	parliamentary democracy

Capital	name: Lisbon geographic coordinates: 38 43 N, 9 08 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions	18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores), Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa (Lisbon), Madeira, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu

Independence	1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)

National holiday	Portugal Day (Day of Portugal), 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died

Constitution	adopted 2 April 1976; effective 25 April 1976; revised many times

Legal system	based on civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage	18 years of age; universal

Executive branch	chief of state: President Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 9 March 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa (since 12 March 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president election results: Anibal CAVACO SILVA elected president; percent of vote - Anibal CAVACO SILVA 50.6%, Manuel ALEGRE 20.7%, Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES 14.3%, Jeronimo DE SOUSA 8.5%, Franciso LOUCA 5.3%

Legislative branch	unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 20 February 2005 (next to be held in February 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45.1%, PSD 28.7%, CDU 7.6%, PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%, other 4.9%; seats by party - PS 121, PSD 75, CDU 14, PP 12, BE 8

Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)

Political parties and leaders	Green Ecologist Party or PEV [Heloisa Augusta Baiao de Brito APOLONIA]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese Communist Party or PCP [Jeronimo DE SOUSA]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Luis Manuel Goncalves Marques MENDES]; The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA]; Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU [Jeronimo DE SOUSA] (includes PEV and PCP)

Political pressure groups and leaders	NA

International organization participation	ABEDA, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, CPLP, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Joao DE VALLERA chancery: 2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 350-5400 FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726 consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), San Francisco consulate(s): New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)

Diplomatic representation from the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred J. HOFFMAN Jr. embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon mailing address: Apartado 43033, 1601-301 Lisboa; PSC 83, APO AE 09726 telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300 FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109 consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Flag description	two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line

Economy - Portugal:
Economy overview	Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past two decades, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth had been above the EU average for much of the 1990s, but fell back in 2001-06. GDP per capita stands at roughly two-thirds of the EU-25 average. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment. The budget deficit surged to an all-time high of 6% of GDP in 2005 but was reduced to 4.6% in 2006. The government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugals economic competitiveness while keeping the budget deficit within the eurozones 3%-of-GDP ceiling.

Gdp purchasing power parity	$210.1 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$176.8 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp real growth rate	1.3% (2006 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$19,800 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 6.6% industry: 28.6% services: 64.9% (2006 est.)

Labor force	5.58 million (2006)

Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 10% industry: 30% services: 60% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate	7.6% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line	NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index	38.5 (1997)

Inflation rate consumer prices	2.5% (2006 est.)

Investment gross fixed	20.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget	revenues: $83.89 billion expenditures: $93.09 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Public debt	67.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture products	grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, swine, poultry, dairy products; fish

Industries	textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metals and metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; rubber and plastic products; ceramics; electronics and communications equipment; rail transportation equipment; aerospace equipment; ship construction and refurbishment; wine; tourism

Industrial production growth rate	0.9% (2006 est.)

Electricity production	42.52 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	46.05 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	2.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	8.6 billion kWh (2004)

Oil production	NA bbl/day

Oil consumption	332,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil exports	43,070 bbl/day (2004)

Oil imports	361,300 bbl/day (2004)

Oil proved reserves	0 bbl

Natural gas production	0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas consumption	4.297 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas exports	0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas imports	4.46 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Current account balance	-$16.75 billion (2006 est.)

Exports	$46.77 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports commodities	clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides

Exports partners	Spain 26.5%, Germany 12.9%, France 12%, UK 6.7%, US 6.1% (2006)

Imports	$67.74 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports commodities	machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products

Imports partners	Spain 29%, Germany 13.1%, France 8.1%, Italy 5.6%, Netherlands 4.4% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$9.88 billion (December 2006 est.)

Economic aid donor	ODA, $271 million (1995)

Debt external	$272.2 billion (30 September 2006 est.)

Currency code	euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Exchange rates	euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)

Communications - Portugal:
Fiscal year	calendar year

Telephones main lines in use	4.231 million (2006)

Telephones mobile cellular	12.226 million (2006)

Telephone system	general assessment: Portugals telephone system has achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations international: country code - 351; 6 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned (1998)

Radio broadcast stations	AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Television broadcast stations	62 (plus 166 repeaters; includes Azores and Madeira Islands) (1995)

Internet country code	.pt

Internet hosts	845,980 (2005)

Internet users	3.213 million (2006)

Transportation - Portugal:
Airports	66 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 43 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 11 (2006)

Airports with unpaved runways	total: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 22 (2006)

Pipelines	gas 1,099 km; oil 8 km; refined products 174 km (2006)

Railways	total: 2,786 km broad gauge: 2,603 km 1.668-m gauge (1,351 km electrified) narrow gauge: 183 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways	total: 78,470 km paved: 67,484 km (includes 2,002 km of expressways) unpaved: 10,986 km (2004)

Waterways	210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2006)

Merchant marine	total: 111 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,077,300 GRT/1,363,435 DWT by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 27, chemical tanker 15, container 7, liquefied gas 11, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 9 foreign-owned: 82 (Australia 1, Belgium 8, Cyprus 1, Denmark 4, Germany 17, Greece 4, Italy 12, Japan 9, Malta 1, Mexico 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 4, Spain 15, Switzerland 3, US 1) registered in other countries: 16 (Cyprus 2, Hong Kong 1, Malta 3, Panama 10) (2006)

Ports and terminals	Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines

Military - Portugal:
Military branches	Army, Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Air Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP), National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana) (2005)

Military service age and obligation	18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory military service ended in 2004; women serve in the armed forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties (2005)

Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 2,435,042 females age 18-49: 2,405,816 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 1,952,819 females age 18-49: 1,977,264 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 67,189 females age 18-49: 60,626 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	2.3% (2005 est.)

Disputes international	Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz