Portugal

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

16 (2000)

Internet country code

.pt

Internet users

700,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios

3.02 million (1997)

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

Telephones - main lines in use

5.3 million (end 1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

3,074,194 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

62 (plus 166 repeaters) note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)

Televisions

3.31 million (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $48.6 billion expenditures: $50.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.7 billion (2000 est.)

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

Debt - external

$13.1 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $271 million (1995)

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.

Electricity - consumption

37.915 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

4.49 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

3.628 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

41.696 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 79.97% hydro: 17.25% nuclear: 0% other: 2.78% (1999)

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)

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $159 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 4% industry: 36% services: 60% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $15,800 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.7% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)

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)

Industrial production growth rate

2.9% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

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.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

4.3% (2000 est.)

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

Climate

maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

Coastline

1,793 km

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

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

Geographic coordinates

39 30 N, 8 00 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

6,300 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,214 km border countries: Spain 1,214 km

Land use

arable land: 26% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 36% other: 20% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Europe

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

Natural hazards

Azores subject to severe earthquakes

Natural resources

fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable land, hydro power

Terrain

mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south

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

Capital

Lisbon

Constitution

25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3 September 1997

Country name

conventional long form: Portuguese Republic conventional short form: Portugal local long form: Republica Portuguesa local short form: Portugal

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

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

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%

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)

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

1140 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)

Legal system

civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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

National holiday

Portugal Day, 10 June (1580)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military branches

Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$2.458 billion (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.6% (FY97)

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 - military age

20 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 71,404 (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.)

Birth rate

11.51 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate

10.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups

homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.74% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

280 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

36,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

5.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages

Portuguese

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.94 years male: 72.44 years female: 79.68 years (2001 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Portuguese (singular and plural) adjective: Portuguese

Net migration rate

0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population

10,066,253 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate

0.18% (2001 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995)

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.)

Total fertility rate

1.48 children born/woman (2001 est.)

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

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.)

Highways

total: 68,732 km paved: 59,110 km (including 797 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,622 km (1999)

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.)

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

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)

Waterways

820 km note: relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton or less cargo capacity