Map of Portugal | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 loss of its Brazilian colony in 1822. 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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 39 30 N, 8 00 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 92,391 km²
Land: 91,951 km²
Water: 440 km²
Note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries
Total: 1,214 km
Border countries: (1) Spain 1,214 km

Coastline: 1,793 km

Maritime claims
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
Extremes 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

Land use
Arable land: 26%
Permanent crops: 9%
Permanent pastures: 9%
Forests and woodland: 36%
Other: 20% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 6,300 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: Azores subject to severe earthquakes

Geography
Note: Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar


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Population: 9,918,040 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: -0.13% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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

Languages: Portuguese

Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17% (male 866,115; female 820,438)
15-64 years: 68% (male 3,283,345; female 3,428,427)
65 years and over: 15% (male 619,086; female 900,629) (1999 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.13% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 10.49 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 10.25 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.51 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas
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, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 94

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 6.73 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.88 years
Male: 72.51 years
Female: 79.46 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 85%
Male: 89%
Female: 82% (1990 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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

Dependent areas: (1) Macau (scheduled to revert to China on 20 December 1999)

Independence: 1140 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)

National holiday: Day of Portugal, 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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 1996 (next to be held NA January 2001); 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 elected president; percent of vote_Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 53.8%, Anibal CAVACO SILVA (Social Democrat) 46.2%

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 1 October 1995 (next to be held by 1 October 1999)
Election results: percent of vote by party_PSD 34.0%, PS 43.8%, CDU 8.6%, CDS/PP 9.1%; seats by party_PSD 88, PS 112, CDU 15, CDS/PP 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica, judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AfDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, 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), MINURCA, MINURSO, MONUA, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Fernando Antonio de Lacerda ANDRESEN GUIMARAES
In the us chancery: 2,125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 328-8,610
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 462-3,726
In the us consulates general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island), and San Francisco
In the us consulates: Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gerald S. MCGOWAN
From the us embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon
From the us mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 9,726
From the us telephone: [351] (1) 727-3,300
From the us FAX: [351] (1) 726-9,109
From the us consulates: 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Portugal, in 1998, continued to see strong economic growth, falling interest rates, and low unemployment. 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. Portugal's inflation rate for 1998, 2.8%, was low but higher than most of its European partners. The country continues to run a trade deficit and a balance of payments deficit. The government is working to modernize capital plant and increase the country's competitiveness in the increasingly integrated world markets. Growth is expected to slow to 3% in 1999 because of a slowdown in public investment and sluggish demand for exports.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.2% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $14,600 (1998 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4%
Industry: 36%
Services: 60% (1998 est.)

Agriculture products: grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products

Industries: textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 4.1% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 4.75 million (1998 est.)
By occupation services: 56%
By occupation manufacturing: 22%
By occupation agriculture forestry fisheries: 12%
By occupation construction: 9%
By occupation mining: 1% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5% (August 1998)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $48 billion
Expenditures: $52 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.4 billion (1996 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $25 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides
Partners: EU 81% (Germany 20%, Spain 15%, France 14%, UK 12% Netherlands 5%, Benelux 5%, Italy 4%), US 5% (1997)

Imports: $34.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products
Partners: EU 76% (Spain 24%, Germany 15%, France 11%, Italy 8%, UK 7%, Netherlands 5%), US 3%, Japan 2% (1997)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $13.1 billion (1997 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1_172.78 (January 1999), 180.10 (1998), 175.31 (1997), 154.24 (1996), 151.11 (1995), 165.99 (1994)
Note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 200.482 escudos per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002


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Electricity
Production: 32.839 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 55%
Production by source hydro: 45%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1998 est.)
Consumption: 31.92 billion kWh (1997)
Exports: 3 billion kWh (1996)
Imports: 4.2 billion kWh (1996)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 3.7 million (1996 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: generally adequate 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

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.458 billion (1997)
Percent of gdp: 2.6% (1997)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 66 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 40
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 18
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 26
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 25 (1998 est.)

Heliports

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

Railways
Total: 3,072 km
Broad gauge: 2,769 km 1.668-m gauge (528 km electrified; 426 km double track)
Narrow gauge: 303 km 1.000-m gauge (1996)

Roadways

Waterways: 820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton cargo capacity

Merchant marine
Total: 132 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 894,640 GRT/1,366,955 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 72, chemical tanker 14, container 7, liquefied gas tanker 7, oil tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 4, vehicle carrier 2
Note: Portugal has created a captive register on Madeira for Portuguese-owned ships; ships on the Madeira Register (MAR) will have taxation and crewing benefits of a flag of convenience (1998 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: as former colonial power, Portugal plays a key role in the issue of Indonesia's sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province), which has not been recognized by the UN

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: important gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin