| Portugal |
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Portugal | Introduction | Top of Page

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.

Portugal | Geography | Top of Page

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

Geographic coordinates: | 39 30 N, 8 00 W

Map references: | Europe

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

Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Indiana

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

Coastline: | 1,793 km

Maritime claims: | 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

Portugal | People | Top of Page

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)

Languages: | Portuguese

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 87.4% male: NA% female: NA%

Portugal | Government | Top of Page

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

Government type: | parliamentary democracy

Capital: | Lisbon

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

Portugal | Economy | Top of Page

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

Currency code: | PTE; EUR

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

Portugal | Communications | Top of Page

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)

Portugal | Transportation | Top of Page

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: | 66 (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.)

Portugal | Military | Top of Page

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)

Portugal | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

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