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

top of page


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.


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 39 30 N 8 00 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 111
Land: 91,470 km²
Water: 620 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries
Border countries: (1) Spain 1214 km

Coastline: 1793 km

Maritime claims
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 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
Permanent crops: 7.71%
Other: 80.41% (2011)

Irrigated land: 5,837 km² (2007)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 68.7 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Volcanism: 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


top of page


Population: 10,799,270 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 81
Growth rate: 0.15% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 180
Below poverty line: 18% (2006)

Nationality
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
15-24 years: 11.4% (male 655,365/female 581,010)
25-54 years: 42.4% (male 2,303,445/female 2,270,380)
55-64 years: 11.8% (male 595,464/female 681,506)
65 years and over: 18.4% (male 811,005/female 1,173,118) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 22.2 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 28.2 %
Potential support ratio: 3.5 (2013)

Median age
Male: 38.6 years
Female: 42.9 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.15% (2013 est.)
Rank: 180

Birth rate: 9.59 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 200

Death rate: 10.91 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 40

Net migration rate: 2.82 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 32

Population distribution

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

Major urban areas
Population: LISBON (capital) 2.808 million; Porto 1.344 million (2009)

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution especially in coastal areas
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds Environmental Modification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 27.4 (2005 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 188
Male: 4.98 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.07 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 49
Male: 75.61 years
Female: 82.32 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.51 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 189

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 86.8% (2005/06)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 3.76 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 3.4 beds/1000 population (2010)

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: 91

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 24% (2008)
Rank: 69

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 5.8% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 46

Literacy
Total population: 95.4%
Male: 97%
Female: 94% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 16 years
Female: 16 years (2010)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional short form: Portugal
Local long form: Republica Portuguesa
Local short form: Portugal

Government type: republic; parliamentary democracy

Capital
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: several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1976 effective 25 April 1976; amended several times last in 2005 (2013)

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
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
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 (see CDU) 7% BE 5% other 11%; seats by party - PPD/PSD 108 PS 74 CDS/PP 24 PCP/PEV (see CDU) 16 BE 8

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court justices nominated by the president and appointed by the Assembly of the Republic; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges - 10 elected by the Assembly and 3 elected by the other Constitutional Court judges; judges elected for 6-year non-renewable terms
Subordinate courts: Supreme Administrative Court (Supremo Tribunal Administrativo); Audit Court (Auditoria do Tribunal); appellate district and municipal courts

Political parties and leaders:

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 (national committees) ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAIA (observer) MIGA NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club (associate) PCA Schengen Convention SELEC (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO Union Latina UNMIT UNSC (temporary) UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2012 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-3,007
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 223-3,926
In the us consulate general: Boston New York Newark (NJ) San Francisco
In the us consulate: New Bedford (MA) Providence (RI)
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
Lyrics and music: Henrique LOPES DE MENDOCA/Alfredo KEIL

National heritage


top of page


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 following two decades successive governments 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 grew by more than the EU average for much of the 1990s but the rate of growth slowed in 2001-08. The economy contracted 2.5% in 2009 before growing 1.4% in 2010 but GDP fell again in 2011 and 2012 as the government began implementing spending cuts and tax increases to comply with conditions of an EU-IMF financial rescue package agreed to in May 2011. GDP per capita stands at roughly two-thirds of the EU-27 average. Portugal also has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a destination for foreign direct investment in part because its rigid labor market hindered greater productivity and growth. However the government of Pedro PASSOS COELHO has enacted several measures to introduce more flexibility into the labor market and this along with steps to reduce high levels of public debt could make Portugal more attractive to foreign investors. The government reduced the budget deficit from 10.1% of GDP in 2009 to 4.5% in 2011 an achievement made possible only by the extraordinary revenues obtained from the one-time transfer of bank pension funds to the social security system. The budget deficit worsened in 2012 as a sharp reduction in domestic consumption took a bigger bite out of value-added tax revenues while rising unemployment benefits increased expenditures more than anticipated. Poor growth prospects over the next year have reinforced investors' concerns about the government's ability to achieve its budget deficit targets and regain full access to bond market financing when the EU-IMF financing program expires in 2013.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 52

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 213

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 64

Gross national saving:
Rank: 103

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 18.3%
Investment in fixed capital: 16%
Investment in inventories: 0.6%
Exports of goods and services: 38.7%
Imports of goods and services: -39.3%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 22.1%
Services: 75.4% (2012 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 porcelain and ceramics glassware technology telecommunications; dairy products wine and other foods; ship construction and refurbishment; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: -6.1% (2012 est.)
Rank: 174

Labor force: 5.495 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 69
By occupation industry: 28.5%
By occupation services: 59.8% (2009 est.)

Unemployment rate: 12.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 148

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 18% (2006)

Gini index

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 35.6 (1995)
Rank: 71

Budget
Expenditures: $101 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -6.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 181

Taxes and other revenues: 41.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 37

Public debt: 108.3% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 9

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 84

Central bank discount rate: 1.75% (31 December 2010)
Rank: 124

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 5.71% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 148

Stock of narrow money: $89.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 38

Stock of broad money: $322.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 31

Stock of domestic credit: $451.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 27

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 46

Current account balance: $-16.76 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 154

Exports: $60.01 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 56
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 base metals
Partners: Spain 22.7% Germany 12.4% France 11.9% Angola 6.5% UK 5.3% Netherlands 4.2% (2012)

Imports: $79.67 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 44
Commodities: agricultural products chemical products vehicles and other transport material optical and precision instruments computer accessories and parts semi-conductors and related devices oil products base metals food products textile materials
Partners: Spain 32% Germany 11.5% France 6.7% Italy 5.3% Netherlands 4.9% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $21.34 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 57

Debt external: $482.2 billion (31 December 2011)
Rank: 25

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $111.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 36

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $72.23 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 32

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Production: 49.92 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 51
Consumption: 50.26 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 46
Exports: 2.873 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 33
Imports: 10.76 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 22
Installed generating capacity: 18.92 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 38
Generation sources fossil fuels: 49% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 157
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 162
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 21.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 87
Generation sources other renewable sources: 24.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 5

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 5,250 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 99
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 170
Crude oil imports: 222,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 31
Crude oil proven reserves: NA bbl (1 January 2013 es)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 252,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 51
Products consumption: 259,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 48
Products exports: 61,010 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 58
Products imports: 84,080 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 55

Natural gas
Production: 4.904 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 51
Consumption: 5.143 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 60
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 165
Imports: 5.185 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 35
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 184

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 54.17 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 57

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.558 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 35
Mobile cellular: 12.312 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 70

Telephone system
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 (2010)

Broadcast media: Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP)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: 3.748 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 28
Users: 5.168 million (2009)
Users rank: 45

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: 2.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 61

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no compulsory military service but conscription possible if insufficient volunteers available; 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 (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 64 (2013)
Rank: 76
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 15
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways: 20 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 1344 km; oil 11 km; refined products 188 km (2013)

Railways
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 (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 58
Paved: 71,294 km (includes 2,613 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 11,606 km (2008)

Waterways: 210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2011)
Rank: 96

Merchant marine
Rank: 50
By type: bulk carrier 8 cargo 35 carrier 1 chemical tanker 21 container 7 liquefied gas 6 passenger 13 passenger/cargo 5 petroleum tanker 3 roll on/roll off 1 vehicle carrier 9
Foreign owned: 81 (Belgium 8 Colombia 1 Denmark 4 Germany 14 Greece 2 Italy 12 Japan 9 Mexico 1 Norway 2 Spain 18 Sweden 3 Switzerland 3 US 4)
Registered in other countries: 15 (Cyprus 2 Malta 3 Panama 10) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Leixoes Lisbon Setubal Sines


top of page


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