SELECT EDITION
CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(10 fields)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
16 (2000)
Internet country code
.pt
Internet users
4.4 million (2002)
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 (yearend 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)
◆ ECONOMY(33 fields)
Agriculture - products
grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products
Budget
revenues: $45 billion expenditures: $48 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
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
Debt - external
$13.1 billion (1997 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
36 (1994-95 )
Economic aid - donor
ODA, $271 million (1995) (1995)
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.
Electricity - consumption
41.146 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports
3.767 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports
4.698 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production
43.242 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 70% hydro: 26% other: 4% (2000) nuclear: 0%
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)
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)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $182 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 4% industry: 29% services: 68% (2001)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
0.8% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 28% (1995 est.)
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)
Industrial production growth rate
1.5% (2002 est.)
Industries
textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
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.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
4.7% (2002 est.)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(18 fields)
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
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, 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
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
6,320 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 1,214 km border countries: Spain 1,214 km
Land use
arable land: 20.57% permanent crops: 7.74% other: 71.69% (1999 est.)
Location
Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Map references
Europe
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
Natural hazards
Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Natural resources
fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable land, hydropower
Terrain
mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south
◆ GOVERNMENT(18 fields)
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 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)
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
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%
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
1143 (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, 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 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
National holiday
Portugal Day, 10 June (1580)
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
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 (now the EU) in 1985.
◆ MILITARY(7 fields)
Military branches
Army, Navy (PON) (includes Marines), Air Force, Republican Guard (includes Fiscal Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure
$1.286 billion (FY99/00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2.2% (FY99/00)
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 - military age
20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 71,404 (2002 est.)
◆ PEOPLE(18 fields)
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.)
Birth rate
11.5 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate
10.21 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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
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
5.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Languages
Portuguese
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.14 years female: 79.87 years (2002 est.) male: 72.65 years
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 (2002 est.)
Population
10,084,245 (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate
0.18% (2002 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: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.48 children born/woman (2002 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(2 fields)
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
◆ TRANSPORTATION(9 fields)
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)
Highways
total: 68,732 km paved: 59,110 km (including 797 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,622 km (1999)
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.)
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-tracked) narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2001)
Waterways
820 km note: relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton or less cargo capacity