Portugal

highest point:

Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 m

lowest point:

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation:

372 m

agricultural land:

43.3% (2023 est.)

arable land:

10.1% (2023 est.)

permanent crops:

9.6% (2023 est.)

permanent pasture:

23.6% (2023 est.)

forest:

36.6% (2023 est.)

other:

5.7% (2023 est.)

• Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar;
• they are two of the four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia;
• the others are the Canary Islands (Spain) and Cabo Verde

noun:

Portuguese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Portuguese

• Catholic 68.1%, not applicable 12.9%, no religion 12.0%, no response 2.2%, Protestant 1.8%, other 1.0%;
• less than 1%: other Christians, Orthodox, Muslim (2021 est.)

note: data represent population 15 years of age and older

total:

46.8 years (2025 est.)

male:

44.3 years

female:

48.3 years

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.66 male(s)/female

total population:

0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

2.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

81.9 years (2024 est.)

male:

78.8 years

female:

85.2 years

total:

10.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

2.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

6.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

1.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

20.7% (2025 est.)

male:

26.1% (2025 est.)

female:

15.9% (2025 est.)

• soil erosion;
• air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
• water pollution, especially in urban centers and coastal areas

agricultural land:

43.3% (2023 est.)

arable land:

10.1% (2023 est.)

permanent crops:

9.6% (2023 est.)

permanent pasture:

23.6% (2023 est.)

forest:

36.6% (2023 est.)

other:

5.7% (2023 est.)

urban population:

67.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.44% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

5.268 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

23.5% (2022 est.)

municipal:

920.03 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

1.83 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

3.419 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

6 (2024)

global geoparks and regional networks:

• Açores;
• Arouca;
• Estrela;
• Naturtejo da Meseta Meridional;
• Oeste;
• Terras de Cavaleiros (2024)

conventional long form:

Portuguese Republic

conventional short form:

Portugal

local long form:

Republica Portuguesa

local short form:

Portugal

etymology:

name derives from the Roman designation "Portus Cale," meaning "Port of Cale;" Cale was located in present-day northern Portugal, and its name is said to come from the Latin word calere (to be warm) because the harbor never iced over

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

time zone note:

Portugal has two time zones, including the Azores (UTC-1)

etymology:

• the origin of the name is unclear;
• some trace it back to the legendary Greek hero Ulysses;
• others claim a derivation from the Phoenician alis-ubbo , or "joyful bay"

• 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

history:

several previous; latest adopted 2 April 1976, effective 25 April 1976

amendment process:

proposed by the Assembly of the Republic; adoption requires two-thirds majority vote of Assembly members

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Portugal

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years; 6 years if from a Portuguese-speaking country

chief of state:

President Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (since 9 March 2016)

head of government:

Prime Minister Antonio Luis MONTENEGRO (since 2 April 2024)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

election/appointment process:

• president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• following legislative elections, the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister

most recent election date:

24 January 2021

election results:

• 2021: Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA reelected president in the first round;
• percent of vote - Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (PSD) 60.7%, Ana GOMES (ran as an independent but is a member of PS) 13%, Andre VENTURA (CH) 11.9%, João FERREIRA (PCP-PEV) 4.3%, other 10.1%

;

• 2016: Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA elected president in the first round;
• percent of vote - Marcelo REBELO DE SOUSA (PSD) 52%, António SAMPAIO DA NOVOA (independent) 22.9%, Marisa MATIAS (BE) 10.1%, Maria DE BELEM ROSEIRA (PS) 4.2%, other 10.8%

expected date of next election:

January 2026

note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president

legislature name:

Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

230 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

5/18/2025

parties elected and seats per party:

• Social Democratic Party (PPD/PSD) - Democratic and Social Centre - People's Party (CDS-PP) (88);
• Chega (CH) (60);
• Socialist Party (PS) (58);
• Other (24)

percentage of women in chamber:

35.7%

expected date of next election:

September 2029

highest court(s):

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 12 justices); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 13 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court justices nominated by the president and appointed by the Assembly of the Republic;
• judges can serve for life;
• Constitutional Court judges - 10 elected by the Assembly and 3 elected by the other Constitutional Court judges;
• judges elected for 6-year nonrenewable terms

subordinate courts:

• Supreme Administrative Court (Supremo Tribunal Administrativo);
• Audit Court (Tribunal de Contas);
• appellate, district, and municipal courts

• Democratic Alliance or AD (2024 electoral alliance in the Azores, includes PSD, CDS-PP, PPM)
• Democratic and Social Center/People's Party (Partido do Centro Democratico Social-Partido Popular) or CDS-PP
• Ecologist Party "The Greens" or "Os Verdes" (Partido Ecologista-Os Verdes) or PEV
• Enough (Chega)
• Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal) or IL
• LIVRE or L
• People-Animals-Nature Party (Pessoas-Animais-Natureza) or PAN
• People's Monarchist Party or PPM
• Portuguese Communist Party (Partido Comunista Portugues) or PCP
• Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata) or PSD (formerly the Partido Popular Democratico or PPD)
• Socialist Party (Partido Socialista) or PS
• The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda) or BE or O Bloco
• Unitary Democratic Coalition (Coligacao Democratica Unitaria) or CDU (includes PCP and PEV) (2024)

chief of mission:

Ambassador John Joseph ARRIGO (since 30 September 2025)

embassy:

Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisboa

mailing address:

5320 Lisbon Place, Washington DC 20521-5320

telephone:

[351] (21) 727-3300

FAX:

[351] (21) 726-9109

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://pt.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s):

Ponta Delgada (Azores)

• 1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized);
• 1 December 1640 (independence reestablished after 60 years of Spanish rule);
• 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)

description:

two vertical bands of green (left side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths), with the national coat of arms (armillary sphere and national shield) centered on the dividing line

meaning:

explanations for the color meanings are ambiguous, but a popular interpretation says that green symbolizes hope and red the blood of those defending the nation

title:

"A Portugesa" (The Song of the Portuguese)

lyrics/music:

Henrique LOPES DE MENDOCA/Alfredo KEIL

history:

adopted 1911; originally written to protest the Portuguese monarchy's acquiescence to the 1890 British ultimatum forcing Portugal to give up areas of Africa

total World Heritage Sites:

17 (16 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Historic Évora (c);
• Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores (c);
• Cultural Landscape of Sintra (c);
• Laurisilva of Madeira (n);
• Historic Guimarães (c);
• Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon (c);
• Convent of Christ in Tomar (c);
• Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde (c);
• University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia (c);
• Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga (c)

• high-income EU and eurozone economy;
• strong services sector led by tourism and banking;
• tight labor market;
• growth driven by private consumption, trade surplus, and public investment from EU funds;
• declining public debt

agriculture:

2% (2024 est.)

industry:

18.4% (2024 est.)

services:

66.4% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

• textiles, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper and pulp, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, automobiles and auto parts, base metals, minerals, porcelain and ceramics, glassware, technology, telecommunications;
• dairy products, wine, other foodstuffs;
• ship construction and refurbishment;
• tourism, plastics, financial services, optics

total:

21.2% (2024 est.)

male:

21.6% (2024 est.)

female:

20.7% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

17.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.5% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

28.8% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

7,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

1 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

6,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

3 million metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

8,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

204,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

consumption:

4.325 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

4.251 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

• Radio e Televisao de Portugal, the publicly owned TV broadcaster, operates 4 domestic channels and external service channels to Africa;
• roughly 40 domestic TV stations;
• widespread access to international broadcasters, with more than half of 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 about 300 regional and local commercial radio stations

total ports:

18 (2024)

large:

3

medium:

2

small:

4

very small:

9

ports with oil terminals:

5

key ports:

Aveiro, Funchal, Lagos, Lisboa, Sines

• the military's inventory includes mostly European- and US-origin weapons systems along with smaller amounts of domestically produced equipment;
• Portugal's defense industry is noted for its shipbuilding (2025)

• 18-30 years of age for voluntary or contract military service for men and women (upper age limit varies by military branch, position, role);
• no compulsory military service (abolished 2004) but conscription possible if insufficient volunteers available;
• contract service lasts for an initial period of 2-6 years, and can be extended to a maximum of 20 years of service;
• initial voluntary military service lasts 12 months;
• reserve obligation to age 35 (2025)

• the Portuguese Armed Forces have more than 1,100 military personnel deployed around the world engaged in missions supporting the EU, NATO, the UN, and partner nations;
• key deployments include 225 troops in the Central African Republic under the UN and about 350 troops supporting NATO's forward presence in Lithuania and Romania;
• it also participates in NATO air policing and maritime patrolling operations (2025)

• in August 2025, Portugal granted a license to a commercial consortium to build and operate a space launch center on the island of Santa Maria in the Azores;
• the first orbital launches are expected in 2027 (2025)

• largely focuses on the acquisition and operation of satellites;
• researches and develops a range of space-related technologies with an emphasis on small satellites for remote sensing (RS), navigational, science/technology, and telecommunications, as well as satellite launch services;
• space program is integrated with the ESA and involved in a variety of ESA and EU space programs;
• works with the space agencies and industries of a range of countries, including Algeria, Angola, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Morocco, South Korea, and the US;
• also cooperates with international organizations and projects such as the Europe South Observatory and the Square Kilometer Array;
• one of the objectives of the country's national space strategy is to expand its commercial space sector (2025)

• 1993 - first technology demonstrator microsatellite (PoSat-1) launched on a European rocket
• 2000 - joined the ESA
• 2020 - launched strategic plan for space development (Portugal Space 2030), which included building a spaceport, developing a reusable rocket/satellite launch vehicle, growing the country's domestic commercial space sector, and establishing an Earth observation/remote sensing satellite constellation
• 2024 - first Portuguese communications satellite (PoSat-2) launched by US as part of a planned constellation of 12 ocean-monitoring/maritime communication satellites
• 2026 - signed US-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices for responsible space exploration

refugees:

71,166 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

21 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

31 (2024 est.)