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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
west of Spain |
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Geographic coordinates:
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39 30 N,
8 00 W |
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total:
92,391 sq km
land: 91,951 sq km
water: 440 sq km
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Indiana |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,214 km
border countries: Spain 1,214 km |
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Coastline:
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1,793 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation |
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Climate:
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maritime
temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in
south |
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Terrain:
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mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in
south |
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Elevation extremes:
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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 |
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Natural resources:
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fish,
forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten,
silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt,
arable land, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 21.75%
permanent crops: 7.81%
other: 70.44% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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6,320 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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Azores
subject to severe earthquakes |
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Environment - current issues:
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soil
erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle
emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental
Modification |
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Geography - note:
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Azores
and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along
western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar |
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Population:
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10,566,212 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 16.6% (male 916,234/female 839,935)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 3,468,844/female
3,538,779)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 744,787/female
1,057,633) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
38.2 years
male: 36.06 years
female: 40.33 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.39%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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10.82
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.43
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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3.49
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
5.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 77.53 years
male: 74.25 years
female: 81.03 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.47
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.4%
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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22,000
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
1,000 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Portuguese (singular and plural)
adjective: Portuguese |
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Ethnic groups:
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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 |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995) |
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Languages:
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Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally
used) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.3%
male: 95.5%
female: 91.3% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Portuguese Republic
conventional short form: Portugal
local long form: Republica Portuguesa
local short form: Portugal |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Lisbon
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Administrative divisions:
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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, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem,
Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu |
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Independence:
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1143
(Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910
(independent republic proclaimed) |
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National holiday:
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Portugal
Day, 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the
day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80)
died |
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Constitution:
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25 April
1976; revised many times |
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Legal system:
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civil law
system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the
constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March
1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Jose SOCRATES
(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; election last held 14 January 2001
(next to be held January 2006); 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: Jorge SAMPAIO reelected
president; percent of vote - Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist)
55.8%, Joaquim FERREIRA Do Amaral (Social Democrat)
34.5%, Antonio ABREU (Communist) 5.1% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 February 2009); note - President SAMPAIO called for
early elections after dissolving parliament on 10
December 2004 because he lacked confidence in the
four-month center-right government
election results: percent of vote by party - PS
45.1%, PSD 28.7%, CDU 7.6%, PP 7.3%, BE 6.4%; seats by
party - PS 121, PSD 75, CDU 14, PP 12, BE 8 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed
for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Green
Ecologist Party or PEV [Heloisa APOLONIA]; Popular Party
or PP [Jose Ribeiro e CASTRO]; 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 Marques MENDES];
The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA]; Unitarian
Democratic Coalition or UDC [Jeronimo de SOUSA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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AfDB,
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB,
EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer),
MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK,
UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves
CATARINO
chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark
(New Jersey), and San Francisco
consulate(s): New Bedford (Massachusetts),
Providence (Rhode Island) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
Adrienne S. O'NEAL
embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081
Lisbon
mailing address: Apartado 4258, 1507 Lisboa
Codex; PSC 83, APO AE 09726
telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300
FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109
consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores) |
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Flag description:
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two
vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red
(three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered
on the dividing line |
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Economy - overview:
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Portugal
has become a diversified and increasingly service-based
economy since joining the European Community in 1986.
Over the past decade, 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 past decade, but
fell back in 2001-04. GDP per capita stands at
two-thirds that of the Big Four EU economies. 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 government faces tough choices in its
attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness
while keeping the budget deficit within the eurozone's
3%-of-GDP ceiling. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$188.7
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.1%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $17,900 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 5.9%
industry: 30.2%
services: 63.9% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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5.48
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 10%, industry 30%, services 60% (1999 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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6.5%
(2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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35.6
(1994-95) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.1%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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22.3% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $74.38 billion
expenditures: $79.86 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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61.5% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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grain,
potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry,
beef, dairy products |
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Industries:
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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 |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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1.1%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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43.28
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 64.5%
hydro: 31.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 4.1% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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42.15
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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3.4
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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5.3
billion kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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339,800
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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28,830
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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357,300
bbl/day (2001) |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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2.542
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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2.553
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$-8.12
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$37.68
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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clothing
and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper
products, hides |
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Exports - partners:
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Spain
25%, France 14%, Germany 13.5%, UK 9.6%, US 6%, Italy
4.3%, Netherlands 4% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$52.1
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles,
agricultural products |
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Imports - partners:
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Spain
29.3%, Germany 14.3%, France 9.3%, Italy 6.1%, UK 4.6%,
Netherlands 4.6% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$12.3
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$274.7
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $271
million (1995) |
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Currency (code):
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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 |
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Currency code:
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EUR |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per
US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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4,278,800
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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9,341,400
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: Portugal's telephone system has
achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband,
high-speed capabilities and a main line telephone
density of 53%
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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 47, FM
172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998) |
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Radios:
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3.02
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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62 (plus
166 repeaters)
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)
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Televisions:
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3.31
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.pt |
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Internet hosts:
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346,078
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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16 (2000)
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Internet users:
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3.6
million (2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
2,850 km
broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
17,135 km
paved: 14,736 km (including 1,659 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 2,399 km (2002) |
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Waterways:
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210 km
(on Douro River from Porto) (2003) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 1,099
km; oil 8 km; refined products 174 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Leixoes,
Lisbon, Setubal, Sines |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
114 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 872,557 GRT/1,236,025 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 38, chemical
tanker 14, container 7, liquefied gas 9, passenger 8,
passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 9, roll on/roll off
4, vehicle carrier 8
foreign-owned: 97 (Australia 1, Belgium 6,
Denmark 5, Germany 18, Greece 4, Iceland 1, Italy 11,
Japan 8, Lebanon 1, Malta 1, Norway 4, Spain 19,
Switzerland 4)
registered in other countries: 28 (2005) |
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Airports:
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65 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
42
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
23
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 22 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army,
Navy (Marinha Portuguesa; includes Marine Corps), Air
Force (Forca Aerea Portuguesa, FAP), National Republican
Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana) (2005) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary military service; compulsory
military service was ended in 2004 (January 2005) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 2,435,042 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,952,819 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
67,189 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$3,497.8
million (2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
2.3%
(2003) |
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Disputes - international:
|
none |
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Illicit drugs:
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gateway
country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian
heroin entering the European market (especially from
Brazil); transshipment point for hashish from North
Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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