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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. |
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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
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
water: 440 sq km |
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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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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:
20.57%
permanent crops: 7.74%
other: 71.69% (1999 est.) |
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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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10,524,145 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
16.7% (male 916,106; female 840,574)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 3,454,970; female 3,535,108)
65 years and over: 16.9% (male 735,407; female
1,041,980) (2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
37.9 years
male: 35.8 years
female: 40 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.41% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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10.9 births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.37
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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3.57 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 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: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
5.13 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 77.35 years
male: 74.06 years
female: 80.85 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.5% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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27,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,000 (2001 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 (independent
republic proclaimed 5 October 1910) |
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National holiday:
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Portugal Day, 10
June (1580) |
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Constitution:
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25 April 1976,
revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3
September 1997 |
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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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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996)
note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a
consultative body to the president
head of government: Prime Minister Jose Manuel DURAO
BARROSO (since 6 April 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term; election last held 14 January 2001 (next to be
held NA 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 17 March 2002 (next to be held NA
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - PSD 40.1%,
PS 37.8%, PP 8.7%, PCP/PEV 6.9%, The Left Bloc 2.7%; seats by
party - PSD 105, PS 96, PP 14, PCP/PEV 12, The Left Bloc 3 |
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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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The Greens or PEV
[no leader]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese
Communist Party/The Greens or PCP/PEV [Carlos CARVALHAS];
Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Eduardo FERRO RODRIGUES];
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO];
United Democratic Coalition or CDU [Carlos CARVALHAS]; The
Left Bloc [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO
consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts),
Providence (Rhode Island)
consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New
Jersey), and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610
chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador John N. PALMER
embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon
mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726
telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300
FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109
consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores) |
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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 has
been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but
fell back in 2001-03. GDP per capita stands at 70% of that of
the leading 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 coalition government faces
tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic
competitiveness and to keep the budget deficit within the 3%
EU ceiling. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $182.3 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-1% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $18,000 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
3.7%
industry: 29.3%
services: 67% (2002) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% (1999 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.1% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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5.1 million
(2000) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 60%,
industry 30%, agriculture 10% (1999 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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6% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
|
revenues:
$45 billion
expenditures: $48 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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textiles and
footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil
refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-2.2% (2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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44.32 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
64.5%
hydro: 31.3%
other: 4.1% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
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41.48 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
|
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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Natural gas - production:
|
0 cu m (2001
est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
|
2.542 billion cu
m (2001 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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Exports:
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$31.13 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
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 20.3%,
Germany 18.4%, France 12.6%, UK 10.5%, US 5.8%, Italy 4.8%,
Belgium 4.5% (2002) |
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Imports:
|
$43.73 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
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 28.1%,
Germany 15%, France 10.2%, Italy 6.5%, UK 5.2%, Netherlands
4.5% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
|
$211.7 billion
(2003 est.) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $271 million
(1995) |
|
Currency:
|
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 |
|
Currency code:
|
EUR |
|
Exchange rates:
|
euros per US
dollar - 0.89 (2003), 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000),
0.94 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
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4,354,600 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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8,528,900 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
|
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 |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 47, FM 172
(many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998) |
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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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Internet country code:
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.pt |
|
Internet hosts:
|
164,711 (2002) |
|
Internet users:
|
3.6 million
(2002) |
|
Railways:
|
total:
2,850 km
broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
68,732 km
paved: 59,110 km (including 1441 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,622 km (2000) |
|
Waterways:
|
820 km
note: relatively unimportant to national economy, used
by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton or less cargo
capacity |
|
Pipelines:
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gas 482 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
|
Aveiro, Funchal
(Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto,
Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal,
Viana do Castelo |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 122
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 872,557 GRT/1,236,025 DWT
registered in other countries: 24 (2003 est.)
by type: bulk 12, cargo 49, chemical tanker 19,
container 8, liquefied gas 7, multi-functional large load
carrier 1, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo
1, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 5, vehicle carrier
2
foreign-owned: Australia 1, Belgium 1, Cyprus 1,
Denmark 7, Germany 21, Greece 2, Guadeloupe 1, Iceland 1,
Italy 16, Japan 1, Malta 1, Norway 7, Panama 1, Spain 18,
Switzerland 7, Ukraine 1, United Kingdom 1 |
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Airports:
|
66 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 40
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 7 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 26
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 25 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
|
Army, Navy (PON;
including Marines), Air Force (FAP), Republican Guard
(including Fiscal Guard) |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
20 years of age
(2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age
15-49: 2,628,892 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males age
15-49: 2,107,502 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males:
72,821 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$3,497.8 million
(2003) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
2.3% (2003) |
|
Disputes - international:
|
some Portuguese
groups assert dormant claims to territories ceded to Spain
around the town of Olivenza |
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Illicit drugs:
|
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 |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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