From Wikitravel

Moved from Portugal by Evan; use only for reference, please, and edit that article instead of this one!

---

This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real Wikitravel country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit the Portugal article.

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 (now the EU) in 1985.

Contents 1 Geography 2 People 3 Government 4 Economy 5 Communications 6 Transportation 7 Military 8 Transnational Issues

Geography

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
note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
water: 440 sq km

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
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 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, hydropower

Land use 

arable land: 20.57%
permanent crops: 7.74%
other: 71.69% (1999 est.)

Irrigated land 

6,320 sq km (1998 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, 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
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note 

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

People

Population 

10,084,245 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 16.9% (male 875,485; female 827,670)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 3,324,215; female 3,463,301)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 644,761; female 948,813) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

0.18% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

11.5 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

10.21 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

5.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 76.14 years
female: 79.87 years (2002 est.)
male: 72.65 years

Total fertility rate 

1.48 children born/woman (2002 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; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal

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%

Government

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 

1143 (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)
note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president
head of government: Prime Minister Jose Manuel DURAO Barroso (since 6 April 2002)
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; 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 reelected 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 17 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - PSD 40.1%, PS 37.8%, PP 8.7%, PCP/PEV 6.9%, The Left Bloc 2.7%; seats by party - PSD 105, PS 96, PP 14, PCP/PEV 12, The Left Bloc 3

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 [no leader]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese Communist Party/The Greens or PCP/PEV [Carlos CARVALHAS]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Eduardo Ferro RODRIGUES]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Jose Manuel DURAO Barroso]; United Democratic Coalition or CDU [leader NA]; 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, 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 Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO
consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)
consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726
telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610
chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador John N. PALMER
embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon, Apartado 4258, 1507 Lisboa CODEX
mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726
telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300
FAX: [351] (21) 727-9109
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

Economy - overview 

Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, 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 European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating its new currency, the euro, on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth has been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but fell back in 2001-02. GDP per capita stands at 75% of that of the leading EU economies. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment. The new coalition government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness and to keep the budget deficit within the 3% EU ceiling.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $182 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

0.8% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 4%
industry: 29%
services: 68% (2001)

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 28% (1995 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index 

36 (1994-95 )

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

3.7% (2002 est.)

Labor force 

5.1 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation 

services 60%, industry 30%, agriculture 10% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate 

4.7% (2002 est.)

Budget 

revenues: $45 billion
expenditures: $48 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Industries 

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

Industrial production growth rate 

1.5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production 

43.242 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 70%
hydro: 26%
other: 4% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

41.146 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

3.767 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

4.698 billion kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

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

Exports 

$25.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities 

clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides

Exports - partners 

EU 79.7% (Germany 19.2%, Spain 18.6%, France 12.6%, UK 10.3%, Benelux 5.4%), US 5.8% (2001)

Imports 

$39 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities 

machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products

Imports - partners 

EU 74.2% (Spain 26.5%, Germany 13.9%, France 10.3%, Italy 6.7%, UK 5.0%), US 3.8%, Japan 1.9% (2001)

Debt - external 

$13.1 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid - donor 

ODA, $271 million (1995) (1995)

Currency 

euro (EUR); Portuguese escudo (PTE)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code 

EUR; PTE

Exchange rates 

euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Portuguese escudos per US dollar - 180.10 (1998), 175.31 (1997)

Fiscal year 

calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

5.3 million (yearend 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 

4.4 million (2002)

Transportation

Railways 

total: 2,850 km
broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified; 426 km double-tracked)
narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2001)

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: 140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,001,440 GRT/1,519,701 DWT
ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 71, chemical tanker 17, container 10, liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 6, short-sea passenger 4, vehicle carrier 2
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, British Virgin Islands 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 6, Germany 20, Greece 1, Iceland 1, Italy 16, Lebanon 1, Liberia 1, Monaco 2, Norway 5, Panama 5, Spain 22, Switzerland 8, United Kingdom 1, Virgin Islands (UK) 1 (2002 est.)

Airports 

67 (2001)

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: 15
under 914 m: 7 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 26
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 25 (2002)

Military

Military branches 

Army, Navy (PON) (includes Marines), Air Force, Republican Guard (includes Fiscal Guard)

Military manpower - military age 

20 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability 

males age 15-49: 2,525,848 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service 

males age 15-49: 2,024,526 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually 

males: 71,404 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure 

$1.286 billion (FY99/00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 

2.2% (FY99/00)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none

Illicit drugs 

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