Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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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: 17.29%
permanent crops: 7.84%
other: 74.87% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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6,500 sq km (2003)
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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, Whaling
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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10,642,836 (July 2007 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Median age:
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total: 38.8 years
male: 36.7 years
female: 41 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.334% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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10.59 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.56 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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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.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.87 years
male: 74.6 years
female: 81.36 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.48 children born/woman (2007 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 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%,
unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census) |
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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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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
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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
(Lisbon), 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
(republic proclaimed) |
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National holiday:
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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 |
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Constitution:
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adopted 2 April 1976; effective 25 April 1976; revised many
times |
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Legal system:
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based on 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 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% |
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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 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 |
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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 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) |
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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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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, Schengen
Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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) |
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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 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 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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$210.1 billion (2006 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$176.8 billion (2006 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.3% (2006 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$19,800 (2006 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 8%
industry: 25.8%
services: 66.2% (2006 est.) |
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Labor force:
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5.59 million (2006 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 10%
industry: 30%
services: 60% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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7.6% (2006 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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38.5 (1997)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.1% (2006 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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20.9% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $81.9 billion
expenditures: $89.49 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
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Public debt:
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65.3% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle,
goats, swine, poultry, dairy products; fish |
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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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0.9% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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43.69 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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46.3 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports:
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2.802 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports:
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9.626 billion kWh (2005) |
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Oil - production:
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NA bbl/day |
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Oil - consumption:
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332,000 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - exports:
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43,070 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports:
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361,300 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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0 bbl |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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4.125 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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4.281 billion cu m (2005) |
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Current account balance:
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-$18.28 billion (2006 est.) |
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Exports:
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$43.58 billion f.o.b. (2006 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 26.5%, Germany 12.9%, France 12%, UK 6.7%, US 6.1%
(2006) |
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Imports:
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$64.45 billion f.o.b. (2006 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%, Germany 13.1%, France 8.1%, Italy 5.6%,
Netherlands 4.4% (2006) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $271 million (1995) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$9.883 billion (2006 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$368.2 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$85.52 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$54.85 billion (2006 est.) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$66.98 billion (2005)
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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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Exchange rates:
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euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054
(2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
|
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Airports:
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66 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 44
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: 12 (2007)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 21 (2007) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 1,099 km; oil 8 km; refined products 174 km (2006) |
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Railways:
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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) |
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Roadways:
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total: 78,470 km
paved: 67,484 km (includes 2,002 km of expressways)
unpaved: 10,986 km (2004) |
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Waterways:
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210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2006) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 117 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,022,783 GRT/1,287,951
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 37, carrier 1,
chemical tanker 16, container 6, liquefied gas 9, passenger
10, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off
1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 10
foreign-owned: 80 (Belgium 9, Denmark 3, Germany 22,
Greece 4, Italy 11, Japan 10, Malta 1, Mexico 1, Netherlands
1, Norway 3, Spain 10, Sweden 2, Switzerland 2, US 1)
registered in other countries: 15 (Cyprus 1, Hong
Kong 1, Malta 3, Panama 9, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1)
(2007) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Leixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines |
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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 ended in 2004; women serve in the armed
forces, on naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from
serving in some combatant specialties (2005) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 18-49: 2,435,042
females age 18-49: 2,405,816 (2005 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49: 1,952,819
females age 18-49: 1,977,264 (2005 est.)
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49: 67,189
females age 18-49: 60,626 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.3% (2005 est.) |
This page was last updated on 15
November, 2007
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