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 global maritime 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 of its wealthiest colony of Brazil 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 is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986. In January 2011 Portugal assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2011-12 term.


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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: 92,090 km²
Rank: 111
Land: 91,470 km²
Water: 620 km²
Note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries
Total: 1214 km
Border countries: (1) Spain 1214 km

Coastline: 1793 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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) iron ore copper zinc tin tungsten silver gold uranium marble clay gypsum salt arable land: hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 17.29%
Permanent crops: 7.84%
Other: 74.87% (2005)

Irrigated land: 5,840 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 73.6 km³ (2005)

Natural hazards: Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Volcanism: Portugal experiences limited volcanic activity in the Azores Islands; Fayal or Faial (elev. 1043 m) last erupted in 1958; most volcanoes have not erupted in centuries; historically active volcanoes include Agua de Pau Furnas Pico Picos Volcanic System San Jorge Sete Cidades and Terceira

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


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Population: 10,760,305 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 75
Growth rate: 0.212% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 179
Below poverty line: 18% (2006)

Nationality
Noun: Portuguese
Adjective: Portuguese

Ethnic groups: 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

Languages: Portuguese (official) Mirandese (official but locally used)

Religions: Roman Catholic 84.5% other Christian 2.2% other 0.3% unknown 9% none 3.9% (2001 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.2%
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 3,539,457/female 3,541,989)
65 years and over: 18% (male 791,950/female 1,141,872) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 40 years
Male: 38 years
Female: 42.3 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.212% (2011 est.)
Rank: 179

Birth rate: 9.94 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 194

Death rate: 10.8 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 42

Net migration rate: 2.98 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 29

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 61% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds Environmental Modification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.067 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.66 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 188
Male: 5.11 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.18 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.54 years
Rank: 49
Male: 75.28 years
Female: 82.01 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 185

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 3.755 physicians/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 17

Hospital bed density: 3.37 beds/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 63

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 63
People living with hivaids: 42,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 60
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 96

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 14.2% (2005)
Rank: 40

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 88

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93.3%
Male: 95.5%
Female: 91.3% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 16 years (2008)

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: republic; parliamentary democracy

Capital
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

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 (Lisbon) Madeira* Portalegre Porto Santarem Setubal Viana do Castelo Vila Real Viseu

Dependent areas

Independence: 1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)

National holiday: Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal) 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died

Constitution: adopted 2 April 1976; subsequently revised
Note: the revisions placed the military under strict civilian control trimmed the powers of the president and laid the groundwork for a stable pluralistic liberal democracy; they allowed for the privatization of nationalized firms and government-owned communications media

Legal system: civil law system; Constitutional Tribunal review of legislative acts

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Anibal CAVACO SILVA
Head of government: Prime Minister Pedro Manuel Mamede PASSOS COELHO (since 21 June 2011)
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 on 23 January 2011 (next to be held in January 2016); following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president
Election results: Anibal CAVACO SILVA reelected president; percent of vote - Anibal CAVACO SILVA 53% Manuel ALEGRE 19.8% Fernando NOBRE 14.1% Francisco LOPES 7.1% Manuel COELHO 4.5% Defensor MOURA 1.6%

Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 5 June 2011 (next to be held in 2015)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PPD/PSD 38% PS 28% CDS/PP 11% PCP/PEV 7% BE 5%; seats by party - PPD/PSD 108 PS 74 CDS/PP 24 PCP/PEV 16 BE 8

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal de Justica); judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura

Political parties and leaders: Democratic and Social Center/Popular Party or CDS/PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pedro Manuel PASSOS COELHO]; Socialist Party or PS [Antonio de Almeida SANTOS]; The Left Bloc or BE; Unitarian Democratic Coalition or CDU [Jeronimo DE SOUSA] (includes Portuguese Communist Party or PCP and Ecologist Party ('The Greens') or PEV)

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) AfDB (nonregional member) Australia Group BIS CD CE CERN CPLP EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EMU ESA EU FAO FATF IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC LAIA (observer) MIGA NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club (associate) PCA Schengen Convention SECI (observer) UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL Union Latina UNMIT UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nuno Filipe Alves Salvador e BRITO
In the us chancery: 2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 328-8,610
In the us fax: [1] (202) 462-3,726
In the us consulate general: Boston New York Newark (New Jersey) San Francisco
In the us consulate: New Bedford (Massachusetts) Providence (Rhode Island)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Allan J. KATZ
From the us embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas 1600-081 Lisbon
From the us mailing address: Apartado 43,033 1601-301 Lisboa; PSC 83 APO AE 9,726
From the us telephone: [351] (21) 727-3,300
From the us fax: [351] (21) 726-9,109
From the us consulate: Ponta Delgada (Azores)

Flag description: two vertical bands of green (hoist side two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the national coat of arms (armillary sphere and Portuguese shield) centered on the dividing line; explanations for the color meanings are ambiguous but a popular interpretation has green symbolizing hope and red the blood of those defending the nation

National symbols: armillary sphere (a spherical astrolabe modeling objects in the sky)

National anthem
Name: 'A Portugesa'
Lyricsmusic: Henrique LOPES DE MENDOCA/Alfredo KEIL
Note: adopted 1910; 'A Portuguesa' was originally written to protest the Portuguese monarchy's acquiescence to the 1890 British ultimatum forcing Portugal to give up areas of Africa; the lyrics refer to the 'insult' that resulted from the event

National heritage


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Economy overview: Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community - the EU's predecessor - 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 Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU members. The economy had grown by more than the EU average for much of the 1990s but fell back in 2001-08 and contracted 2.6% in 2009 before growing 1% in 2010. GDP per capita stands at roughly two-thirds of the EU-27 average. A poor educational system and a rigid labor market have been obstacles to greater productivity and growth. Portugal also has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a destination for foreign direct investment. Portugal's low competitiveness low growth prospects and high levels of public debt have made it vulnerable to bond market turbulence. The government is implementing austerity measures including a 5% public salary cut which went into effect on January 1 2011 and a 2% increase in the value-added tax to reduce the budget deficit from 9.3% of GDP in 2009 to 4.6% in 2011 but some investors have expressed concern about the government's ability to achieve these targets and cover its sovereign debt. Without the option for stimulus measures the government is focusing instead on boosting exports and implementing labor market reforms to try to raise GDP growth and increase Portugal's competitiveness - which over time may help mitigate investor concerns.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 50
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 162

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 57
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.5%
Industry: 22.9%
Services: 74.7% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: grain potatoes tomatoes olives grapes; sheep cattle goats pigs poultry dairy products; fish

Industries: textiles clothing footwear wood and cork paper chemicals auto-parts manufacturing base metals dairy products wine and other foods porcelain and ceramics glassware technology telecommunications; ship construction and refurbishment; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 1.6% (2010 est.)
Rank: 138

Labor force: 5.581 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 66
By occupation agriculture: 11.7%
By occupation industry: 28.5%
By occupation services: 59.8% (2009 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.5% (2009 est.)
Rank: 118

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 18% (2006)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.1%
Highest 10: 28.4% (1995 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 35.6 (1995)
Rank: 73

Budget
Revenues: $95.4 billion
Expenditures: $116.5 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -9.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 193

Taxes and other revenues: 41.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 36

Public debt: 83% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 13

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: -0.8% (2009 est.)
Rank: 42

Central bank discount rate: 1.75% (31 December 2009)
Rank: 125
Note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 4.694% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 166

Stock of narrow money: $103.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 31
Note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 17 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Stock of broad money: $311 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 26

Stock of domestic credit: $490.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 25

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 41

Current account balance: -$25.6 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 187

Exports: $44.67 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 57
Commodities: agricultural products food products wine oil products chemical products plastics and rubber hides leather wood and cork wood pulp and paper textile materials clothing footwear machinery and tools
Partners: Spain 26.8% Germany 13.1% France 11.9% UK 5.5% Angola 5.2% (2010)

Imports: $69.5 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 38
Commodities: agricultural products chemical products vehicles and other transport material and optical and precision instruments computer accessories and parts semi-conductors and related devices
Partners: Spain 31.3% Germany 13.8% France 7.3% Italy 5.7% Netherlands 5.2% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $16.03 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 57

Debt external: $497.8 billion (30 June 2010)
Rank: 21

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $114.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 32

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $68.47 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 31

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 46.53 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 51
Consumption: 48.27 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 47
Exports: 2.822 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 4.776 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 114
Consumption: 5.161 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 59
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 161
Imports: 5.122 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 33
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 181

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.485 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 36
Mobile cellular: 15.195 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 50

Telephone system
General assessment: Portugal's telephone system has a state-of-the-art network with broadband high-speed capabilities
Domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables open-wire microwave radio relay and domestic satellite earth stations
International: country code - 351; a combination of submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe North and East Africa South Africa the Middle East Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores (2008)

Broadcast media: the publicly-owned TV broadcaster operates 2 domestic channels and external service channels to Africa; overall roughly 40 domestic TV stations; viewers have widespread access to international broadcasters with more than half of all households connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV systems; publicly-owned radio operates 3 national networks and provides regional and external services; several privately-owned national radio stations and some 300 regional and local commercial radio stations (2008)

Internet
Country code: .pt
Hosts: 3.267 million (2010)
Hosts rank: 28
Users: 5.168 million (2009)
Users rank: 45

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 65

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no compulsory military service; women serve in the armed forces on naval ships since 1993 but are prohibited from serving in some combatant specialties; reserve obligation to age 35 (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 65 (2010)
Rank: 77
With paved runways total: 43
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13
With paved runways under 914 m: 10 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 22
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 21 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 1307 km; oil 11 km; refined products 188 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 3,319 km
Rank: 53
Broad gauge: 2,700 km 1.668-m gauge (1436 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 192 km 1.000-m gauge; 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2010)

Roadways
Total: 82,900 km
Rank: 56
Paved: 71,294 km (includes 2,613 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 11,606 km (2008)

Waterways: 210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2010)
Rank: 96

Merchant marine
Total: 111
Rank: 47
By type: bulk carrier 8 cargo 33 carrier 1 chemical tanker 17 container 8 liquefied gas 9 passenger 13 passenger/cargo 5 petroleum tanker 7 roll on/roll off 1 vehicle carrier 9
Foreign owned: 80 (Belgium 8 Denmark 4 Germany 13 Greece 5 Italy 10 Japan 9 Mexico 1 Netherlands 1 Norway 1 Spain 15 Sweden 6 Switzerland 3 US 4)
Registered in other countries: 14 (Cyprus 2 Malta 3 Panama 9) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Leixoes Lisbon Setubal Sines


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Disputes international: Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: seizing record amounts of Latin American cocaine destined for Europe; a European gateway for Southwest Asian heroin; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin