| 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 entered the EC in 1985. |
| Location: |
Southwestern
Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
39 30 N, 8 00 W |
| 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 |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth
of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| 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), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable
land, hydro power |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
26%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 36%
other: 20% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
6,300 sq km (1993
est.) |
| 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,
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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban |
| Geography
- note: |
Azores and
Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea
approaches to Strait of Gibraltar |
| Population: |
10,066,253 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
16.96% (male 877,379; female 830,242)
15-64 years: 67.42% (male 3,321,473; female
3,465,481)
65 years and over: 15.62% (male 637,207; female
934,471) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.18% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
11.51
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
10.21
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.5 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
5.94 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 75.94 years
male: 72.44 years
female: 79.68 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.48 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.74% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
36,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
280 (1999 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 |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
94%, Protestant (1995) |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.4%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Portuguese Republic
conventional short form: Portugal
local long form: Republica Portuguesa
local short form: Portugal |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary
democracy |
| 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, Madeira*, Portalegre,
Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu |
| Independence: |
1140 (independent
republic proclaimed 5 October 1910) |
| National
holiday: |
Portugal Day, 10
June (1580) |
| Constitution: |
25 April 1976,
revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3
September 1997 |
| Legal
system: |
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 Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March
1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Antonio
Manuel de Oliviera GUTERRES (since 28 October 1995)
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 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 re-elected
president; percent of vote - Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist)
55.8%, Joaquim FERREIRA Do Amaral (Social Democrat) 34.5%,
Antonio ABREU (Communist) 5.1% |
| 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 10 October 1999 (next to
be held by NA October 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - PS 115, PSD 81, PCP 15, PP 15, PEV 2,
The Left Bloc 2 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or
Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for life by
the Conselho Superior da Magistratura) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
The Greens or PEV
[leader NA]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese
Communist Party/United Democratic Coalition or PCP/CDU
[Carlos CARVALHAS]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS
[Antonio GUTERRES]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [leader
vacant]; The Left Bloc [no leader] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
AfDB, Australia
Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU,
ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer),
MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMOP, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Joao Alberto Bacelar ROCHA
PARIS
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): Los Angeles, New Bedford
(Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Gerald S. MCGOWAN
embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600
Lisbon
mailing address: 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
- overview: |
Portugal is an
upcoming capitalist economy with a per capita GDP two-thirds
that of the four big West European economies. The country
qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and
joined with 10 other European countries in launching the
euro on 1 January 1999. The year 2000 was marked by
moderation in growth, inflation, and unemployment. The
country continues to run a sizable trade deficit. The
government is working to reform the tax system, to modernize
capital plant, and to increase the country's competitiveness
in the increasingly integrated world markets. Growth is
expected to fall off slightly in 2001. Improvement in the
education sector is critical to the long-run catch-up
process. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $159 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
2.7% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $15,800 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
4%
industry: 36%
services: 60% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
3.1%
highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
5 million (1999) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
services 60%,
industry 30%, agriculture 10% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
4.3% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$48.6 billion
expenditures: $50.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $7.7 billion (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
textiles and
footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil
refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
2.9% (1999 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
41.696 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
79.97%
hydro: 17.25%
nuclear: 0%
other: 2.78% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
37.915 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
4.49 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
3.628 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
grain, potatoes,
olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy
products |
| Exports: |
$26.1 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
clothing and
footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products,
hides |
| Exports
- partners: |
EU 83% (Germany
20%, Spain 18%, France 14%, UK 12%, Netherlands 5%, Benelux
5%, Italy), US 5% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$41 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles,
agricultural products |
| Imports
- partners: |
EU 78% (Spain
25%, Germany 15%, France 11%, Italy 8%, UK 7%, Netherlands
5%), US 3%, Japan 3% (1998) |
| Debt
- external: |
$13.1 billion
(1997 est.) |
| Economic
aid - donor: |
ODA, $271 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
Portuguese escudo
(PTE); euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the
euro as a common currency that is now being used by
financial institutions in Portugal at a fixed rate of
200.482 Portuguese escudos per euro and will replace the
local currency for all transactions in 2002 |
| Exchange
rates: |
euros per US
dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386
(1999); Portuguese escudos per US dollar - 180.10 (1998),
175.31 (1997), 154.24 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
5.3 million (end
1998) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
3,074,194 (1999) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: undergoing rapid development in recent
years, Portugal's telephone system, by the end of 1998,
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: 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: |
AM 47, FM 172
(many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Radios: |
3.02 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
62 (plus 166
repeaters)
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
(1995) |
| Televisions: |
3.31 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.pt |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
16 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
700,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
2,850 km
broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km
electrified; 426 km double track)
narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (1998) |
| Highways: |
total:
68,732 km
paved: 59,110 km (including 797 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 9,622 km (1999) |
| Waterways: |
820 km
note: relatively unimportant to national
economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300
metric-ton or less cargo capacity |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 22 km;
petroleum products 58 km; natural gas 700 km
note: the secondary lines for the natural gas
pipeline that will be 300 km long have not yet been built |
| 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:
158 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,053,586 GRT/1,611,238
DWT
ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 84, chemical
tanker 16, container 10, liquefied gas 7, multi-functional
large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated
cargo 1, roll on/roll off 6, short-sea passenger 4, vehicle
carrier 4
note: includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: Spain 1 (2000
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: 17
under 914 m: 5 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
26
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy
(includes Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
20 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 2,530,466 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 2,030,759 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
71,404 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$2.458 billion
(FY97) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.6% (FY97) |
| Illicit
drugs: |
important gateway
country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian
heroin entering the European market; transshipment point for
hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest
Asian heroin |
|
